Abstract:
An exercise belt for use while seated in a normal position in a motor vehicle and preferably while using the installed safety harness in which the exercise belt incorporates a resilient resistance member extending diagonally across the chest of the user and held in position by oppositely extending tie straps tied to brackets secured to the vehicle. The tie straps are adjustable in length to adjust the position of the resistance member and one of the tie straps is provided with a quick release buckle to facilitate removal of the exercise belt when not is use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to exercise equipment which can be used in a motor vehicle by both drivers and passengers.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A large number of people spend a great deal of time seated in motor vehicles in pursuit of their employment. For example, truck drivers spend all of their work day seated in a tractor of a tractor-trailer combination. Also, most people commute to their place of employment by using passenger automobiles.  
           [0003]    In view of the large amount of time that people spend operating and traveling in vehicles it would be useful to provide equipment that would allow such travelers the ability to exercise during the time that the vehicle is being operated. It also would be useful for that exercise equipment to allow the vehicle operator to control the vehicle in an otherwise normal manner while still providing a reasonable level of beneficial exercise.  
           [0004]    Almost all present day vehicles are equipped with safety belts to restrain movement of operators and passengers in the event of an impact such as that experienced in collisions and accidents. Such belts are usually in the form of lap belts which restrain movement and shoulder belts which permit limited movement until there is rapid deceleration of the vehicle upon impact in a collision.  
           [0005]    Although operators and passengers of vehicles are restricted in their movement, it is highly desirable to afford some form of physical exercise without impairing the operation of the safety equipment such as the safety belts and harness.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is an exercise device that provides resistance to the operator&#39;s normal physical motions impairing operating safety and thus allows the operator to receive physical exercise while operating the vehicle.  
           [0007]    It is an object of the invention to provide exercise equipment for use by a person seated in a motor vehicle using the safety belt or harness equipment with which the vehicle is typically equipped without impairing the operation and effectiveness of such safety equipment.  
           [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide exercise equipment which can be used in conjunction with the use of the safety belt and safety harness equipment in a motor vehicle which offer&#39;s resilient resistance to the limited movement that the safety belt equipment affords without impairing the use of the safety equipment.  
           [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide exercise equipment in the form of a belt assembly which can be used simultaneously with the wearing of safety harness and seat belts in motor vehicles.  
           [0010]    These and other objects of the invention are attained by exercise equipment to be used by persons seated in the motor vehicle equipped with a safety belt harness in which the exercise equipment incorporates an elongated resistance member which resiliently resists elongation. The opposite ends of the resistance member is provided with support or link elements which are connected to opposite ends of the resistance member and also to a pair of tie straps or belts. The pair of tie straps are adjustable in length and have their opposite ends connected to the link elements on the resistance member and to the anchor points which secure the safety belt or harness to the vehicle. The pair of tie straps act to support the resistance member in a diagonal position across the chest of the driver or passenger so that a person seated in a vehicle and wearing safety harness can move against the resistance of the resistance member. The resistance to the operator&#39;s normal physical movement, thus allows the operator and passengers of vehicles to achieve physical exercise without impairing the person&#39;s normal range of movement. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a view of the exercise equipment embodying the invention in relation to a seat in a motor vehicle.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the exercise equipment embodying the invention in the form of a belt assembly;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an edge view of the exercise equipment seen in FIG. 2; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view at an enlarged scale taken on line  4 - 4  in FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Referring to the drawings, the exercise equipment embodying the invention is designated generally at  10  and is in the form of a belt assembly incorporating a resistance or an elastic belt member  12  joined together to an upper belt or tie strap portion  14  and a lower belt or tie strap portion  16 .  
         [0016]    The resistance belt member  12  has opposite ends  18  and  20  in the form of loops which are attached to rectangular shaped links or rings  22  and  24  respectively. Each of the links  22 ,  24  has opposed pairs of generally parallel edge portions  26  and  28 . One of the edge portions  26  of each of the links  22 ,  24  fits through the loops  18  and  20  of the resistance member  12 .  
         [0017]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention resistance belt member  12  is made up of a pair of bungee cords  30  shown in cross-section in FIG. 4. The bungee cords  30  form the opposite edges of the resistance belt member  12  and are joined together by a fabric member  32 . Alternatively, the resistance belt member  12  can be made of an elastic fabric material formed with loops at its opposite ends  18  and  20  to receive rings  22  and  24 .  
         [0018]    In use, the exercise belt assembly  10  extends generally diagonally across the upper body of a person seated in a motor vehicle. As seen in FIG. 1, the exercise belt  10  is shown extending from and upper level diagonally relative to a drivers seat  34 . In the case of a driver, the belt assembly  10  extends from the upper left-hand shoulder of the driver downwardly toward the lower right side. In the case of a passenger seated next to the driver, the exercise belt assembly  10  extends from the passenger&#39;s upper right to the lower left. The usual seat belt and shoulder harness is not shown in FIG. 1 but the exercise belt assembly  10  is disposed generally parallel to the shoulder harness.  
         [0019]    In its position of use, the upper end  18  of the resistant belt  12  is attached to the upper tie strap assembly  14  which has loops  36  and  38  at its opposite end. Loop  36  receives a long edge  26  (FIG. 2) of the ring  22 . The opposite loop  38  forms a finished end to the tie strap assembly  14  which is adapted to be tied to a bracket  39  secured to the vehicle. The bracket  39  is by way of example and may be any fixed bracket including the anchors for safety harness. An intermediate portion of the tie strap  14  is provided with an adjustment buckle  40  between strap portions  14   a  and  14   b  by which the tie strap assembly  14  can be elongated or shortened. Such buckles are conventional, are of a cam lock type attached to one end of strap portion  14   a  and slidably receiving a strap portion  14   b  and clamping it in a selected position relative to the buckle  40 . Such buckles can be obtained from sources such as ITW Nexus in Des Plaines, Ill.  
         [0020]    In a similar manner, the resistance member  12  is attached to the lower tie strap assembly  16 . The tie strap assembly  16  has loops  44  and  46  formed at its opposite ends. The loop  44  is attached to the ring  24  at the lower end of the resistance belt  12  and the loop  46  finishes the end of the tie strap assembly which is adapted to be tied to a bracket  47  secured to or near the floor of the vehicle.. An intermediate portion of the lower tie strap  16  is provided with an adjustment buckle  48  identical to the buckle  40  which separates tie strap  16  into strap portions  16   a  and  16   b  (FIG. 2). The buckle  48  permits the lower tie strap assembly  16  to be elongated or shortened by clamping portions  16   a  and  16   b  relative to each other.  
         [0021]    An intermediate portion of the tie strap portion  16   a  adjacent to the buckle  48  is provided with a quick release fitting  50 . Such fittings also can be obtained from sources such as ITW Nexus as mentioned above. Pressure on opposed latch buttons  52  permits separation of the tie strap  16  and releases the wearer from the confines of the exercise belt  10 .  
         [0022]    To use the exercise equipment  10 , the entire belt assembly is installed in a vehicle. The upper portion of the upper belt assembly  14  is tied to the bracket  39  or other anchor attached to the vehicle. Similarly the lower end of the lower belt or tie strap  16  is tied to vehicle seat belt anchor bracket  47  near the floor board of the vehicle to position the entire exercise belt assembly  10  diagonally across the upper body portion of a user with resistance member  12  extending diagonally across the chest of the user. For the purpose of adjusting the resistance member  12  to a desired position relative to the chest of the wearer, the adjustment buckles  40  and  48  can be used to move the resistance member  12  upwardly or downwardly relative to the body of the user. Typically, the user will be wearing the usual safety harness (not shown) and the exercise belt assembly  10  is put in use over the existing harness by connecting the quick release fitting  50 .  
         [0023]    With the exercise assembly  10  in position relative to the user, the resistance member  12  offers a yielding resistance to movement within the confines of the normal seat belt equipment that may be worn to achieve exercise which normally would not be available. Such exercise is accomplished without in any way detracting from the use of the typical seat belt safety harness or equipment.  
         [0024]    When not in use, the exercise belt assembly  10  can be released by latching the quick release  50 .  
         [0025]    Exercise equipment for use by operators and passengers in motor vehicles has been provided which can be use in conjunction with the usual safety belt harness and equipment without impairing the use of such equipment thereby making it possible for the user to accomplish some exercise by overcoming the resistance of the resilient resistance belt member  12  within the limited movement afforded by the usual safety harness.