Abstract:
An exercise apparatus for developing flexibility and strength in the back uses a captured ball to support the user&#39;s body. The ball is mounted in a receptacle with a substantial portion of the sphere exposed for contact with the user&#39;s body. The sphere has universal movement in the receptacle. In use, the user sits or lies on the ball in contact with the exposed sphere and their feet on the floor or a foot rest. The body is exercised by maintaining a point of contact between the ball and the user&#39;s back.

Description:
[0001]     This application is related to the apparatus disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,284, issued Oct. 2, 2002 to the same inventor, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to the field of exercising devices and more particularly to exercise apparatus used to strengthen back muscles, add flexibility to the spine and to increase range of motion.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Back pain is a predominant complaint of patients seen by chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons and other professionals who deal in physical fitness/rehabilitation. The causes of back pain are varied, including injury, congenital defects, and bad habits. For example, individuals with poor posture place excessive pressure on the intervertebral disks and nerves related to the soft tissue of the back.  
         [0004]     An integral part of any rehabilitation of the back and spine, regardless of the cause of the problem, is some form of exercise to strengthen and increase the flexibility of the back. Exercises and exercise equipment should result in movement of the spine to bend forwardly, rearwardly, and from side to side. Bending rearwardly is especially helpful in relieving pressure on the disks.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0005]     One method of exercise that is well known employs a large ball, sometimes called a Fit Ball, that is placed between a user&#39;s back and a vertical surface, such as a wall. The user assumes a squat position and pushes against the ball with his legs and back. The exercise requires the individual to apply sufficient pressure to prevent the ball from dropping through the application of pressure, while using their legs to move the ball for receipt of the exercise effect. Should the ball fall or otherwise lose contact, the individual could injure themself if their physical ailment was of a type that would not allow for sudden movements.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment, a larger ball may be used on the floor or the like horizontal surface. As the ball rolls about the surface, the user maintains contact by flexing muscles and the skeleton. In this embodiment, the individual may sit on the ball wherein muscle exercise maintains the individual in an upright position providing spine movement and associated flex movement. The ability for an individual to maintain a position on the ball depends on their balance since the curvature of the ball requires balance at the base and apex of where the individual is situated. If an individual employs the ball to work the back, movement of the ball is necessary. However, excess movement may cause the individual to fall off the ball defeating any beneficial effects.  
         [0007]     If the individual has certain physical handicaps, the current ball exercise device could not occur without the assistance of support personnel. This makes the use of current ball technology limited to those persons who have the assistance of support personnel or risk injury to themselves while attempting a rehabilitation.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,489 B1 discloses a back exercise machine which has a base for support of the machine. Attached to the base is an array of parallel rollers upon which the user rests the back in the supine position. The rollers terminate adjacent to a seat and extending from the seat, opposite from the rollers, is a bar for securing the user&#39;s feet. The user may sit in the seat and place his feet on the bar, bending rearwardly to allow the rollers to engage his back. This motion decompresses the spinal disks.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,178 discloses the use of a sphere or ball to massage the feet. The ball has a circumference of approximately 15 to 20 inches with protuberances to engage the feet.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,031 discloses an abdominal exerciser employing a vertical frame extending from a base mounted on the floor. Within the frame, is a pivotally mounted sphere that impacts the abdomen when the upper portion of the frame is pushed away from the user.  
         [0011]     There is a Power Ball Bench with Ab Bar, distributed by Sports &amp; Leisure Technology Corp. of Yonkers, N.Y., that has a metal frame with a circular mouth holding a large ball. The user pushes against the ball during exercise. The frame includes other attachments used for various exercises.  
         [0012]     Thus, what is needed is an exercise apparatus that reacts with universal motion when forcibly contacted by an individual requiring equal and opposite body movements in all axes to maintain the point of contact.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     The exercise apparatus develops flexibility and strength in the back and other portions of the body. The apparatus employs a frame that captures an exercise ball for support of the user&#39;s body during exercises. The ball is mounted in a receptacle with a substantial portion of the sphere exposed for contact with the user&#39;s body. The sphere has universal movement in the receptacle or may remain in a fixed position. In use, the user sits or lies on the ball with their body in contact with the exposed sphere with feet on the floor or a foot rest. The body is exercised by maintaining a point of contact between the ball and the user&#39;s back, sides or stomach.  
         [0014]     Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to teach an exercise device having a captured ball housed within a receptacle or cage. The ball provides a re-active surface to the movement of weight placed on its circumference, either by deformation or by rotation or both.  
         [0015]     Still another objective of the instant invention is to provide an exercise apparatus having a primary purpose of increasing flexibility and strength in the back and spine of a person whose motion is limited by injury, surgery, congenital defects or lack of conditioning.  
         [0016]     It is a further objective of the instant invention to teach universal movement of the captured ball in response to physical movement of an exerciser in contact with the exposed portion of the sphere.  
         [0017]     It is yet another objective of the instant invention to teach a receptacle or cage with an open mouth housing the ball with a portion of the ball exposed for contact by an exerciser.  
         [0018]     It is a still further objective of the invention to teach a frame supporting the cage and attachments to the frame with implements used by an exerciser to translate physical force to the ball for universal motion or deformation.  
         [0019]     Another objective of the invention is to disclose a frame having hand and/or foot supports that allow an individual to maintain a position on the captured ball without assistance from other individuals.  
         [0020]     Still another objective of the instant invention is to provide an exercise apparatus having a fully adjustable attachment for engaging the legs and feet.  
         [0021]     Another objective of the instant invention is to provide an exercise apparatus having attachments for a resistance band attachment.  
         [0022]     Another objective of the instant invention is to provide an exercise apparatus having attachments for engaging the hands.  
         [0023]     Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective of one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective of the frame of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective the foot rest of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective of a height adjuster of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a perspective of a manual motor for connection to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]     The exercise device  10  has a primary purpose of increasing flexibility and strength in the back and spine of a person whose motion is limited by injury, surgery, congenital defects or lack of conditioning. While the use of the device focuses on the back, the device may be used to exercise other parts of the body. Indeed, proper use of the device obviously requires coordinated action from other parts of the body.  
         [0030]     The basic apparatus is shown in  FIG. 1 . A large ball or sphere  1 , approximately 2 foot diameter, is captured in a frame  11  having a cage  19  which may be formed of a tubular shape to interact with the surface of the ball. The ball  1  may be a hollow sphere filled with a gas, fluid or it may be solid. The spherical outside wall may be smooth or roughened for better purchase. The sphere  1  is preferably resiliently deformable but will not lose it&#39;s shape when supporting the weight of an exerciser.  
         [0031]     The frame  11  supports the sphere on an exercise surface, such as a floor. The cage or receptacle  19  has an open mouth which is sized to accept the circumference of the ball  1  and can capture the ball  1  in a fixed position. Alternatively the cage  19  can allow the ball  1  universal rotation or surface deformation of the ball within the cage. The open mouth of the cage  19  is a circular frame member. The cage  19  is held in spatial relationship by vertical members such as those depicted by numerals  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 . The vertical members  15  and  16  extend from the cage  19  to the radial frame member  14 . The vertical frame members  17  and  18  extend from the cage  19  to the floor or other supporting surface. The circular frame support surface is reinforced by radial frame member  14 . Radial frame member  14  is connected to the attachment  12  at one end and the attachment  13  at the other end. The connections between radial frame member  14  and the attachments  12  and  13  is adjustable so as to accommodate the size of an individual using the ball  1 .  
         [0032]     The attachment  12  has a base  22  which slidably connects with the radial frame member  14  by an adjustable coupling  21  and an aperture  23 . There is a plurality of apertures in base  22 . A stabilizing bar  24  extends laterally from the base  22  to prevent twisting of the base  22  and to support the head rest  32 . The stabilizing bar  24  has rotatable height adjusters  35  at each end.  
         [0033]     The base  22  and the stabilizing bar  24  have a bracket  33  mounted thereon to removably receive a post  25  secured by a pin  34 . The post  25  slidably receives a handle bar support  27  carrying a laterally extending handlebar  28 . The height of the handle bar may be adjusted by pin  26 . Above handlebar support  27 , there is another slidably received head rest post  30  which is height adjustable through the pin  29 . The head rest post  30  has a handle bar  31  extending laterally directly under the head rest  32 . The handle bars  28  and  31  provide an area for an individual to grasp for support while situated on the ball  1  in a prone, supine or sitting position.  
         [0034]     The radial frame  14  extends beyond the circular frame cage  19  and slidably connects with attachment  13  which terminates in a T bar  36 . The extension  13  may be formed in telescoping parts for longitudinal adjustment by pin  20  and aperture  37 . The T bar  36  has a journal  38  which receives a support post  39 . The journal  38  affords an angular adjustment for the support post  38  to permit the user&#39;s feet to comfortably engage the foot rest  40  in different exercises and for users of differing heights. The support post  39  includes apertures for adjustment of the foot rest shaft  40 , in length, by coupling pin  41 . The foot rest  42  has a non-slip surface for engaging the feet or footwear of the user. A strap  43  is attached to the foot rest  42  by a swivel  44  and buckles mounted on the edges of the foot rest. The strap  43  is used to anchor the feet to the foot rest during some exercises.  
         [0035]     The stabilizing bar  24  and the T bar  36  each have a pair of rings attached on either side of the longitudinal center line of the frame. These rings  50  are used to connect to one end of resistance bands or tethers  51 . The bands may be elastic or not depending on the exercise to be accomplished. The bands may have a hand grip/foot grip or loop at the free end. While using the exercise device, a user can place one or both hands or feet in the grip or loop portion of the flexible tether, which remains attached at an opposite end thereof to said stabilizing bar. The tether is constructed and arranged to be adjustable in length, and the grip provides manual support for a user in all axes. The bands may be used in conjunction with the ball or by themselves.  
         [0036]     The frame  11 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , has poles  52  and  53  extending from the vertical members  17  and  18 , respectively, to a level to be grasped by a user whose body is in contact with the ball. The poles may have hand grips  53  and  54 . Each pole is removably mounted on the vertical member through a journal  55 .  
         [0037]     In  FIG. 3 , the foot rest  42  is shown with the strap  43  in the vertical position. Two sets of buckles  56  and  57  are attached to the edges of the foot rest  42 . The ends of the strap are passed through the opposite buckles  57  and doubled back so that they may be removably fastened to the strap by Velcro components  58  and  59 . Another pair of opposite buckles  56  are used to orient the strap in a horizontal position. The strap may be tightened to hold the feet on the foot rest during exercises. The strap may be held in place by the buckles, the Velcro or both.  
         [0038]     In  FIG. 4 , the rotatable eccentric adjuster  35  is mounted on the ends of the T bar  36  and stabilizing bar  24 . The adjuster has a plurality of planar surfaces  60  to establish a stable foundation. The planar surface may be changed and the height of the frame attachments may be changed to accommodate an uneven supporting surface while maintaining the exercise device level.  
         [0039]     The manual motor  70 , shown in  FIG. 5 , has frame  71  which has one end  72  for removable connection to journal  38 . Mounted on the frame  71  is a chain drive  73  driven by a sprocket wheel  74  and foot pedals  75 . The chain is connected to drive wheel  76  whereby the drive wheel is rotated by the movement of the foot pedals. A friction wheel  77  is in rotary contact with the drive wheel  76 . The friction wheel is adjustable by knob  78  to increase or decrease the amount of force applied to the drive wheel which results in a requirement for more or less force on the pedals  75 .  
         [0040]     As the sphere deforms and/or rotates, the exerciser must apply muscular force to compensate for the shifting location of the point of contact between the body and the ball to avoid dislodgement. Since there is no limit to the direction of deformation or rotation, the exerciser must move in all axes. Further, the device can be used by an individual for sitting on wherein balancing, with or without the wall support, provides the desired flex exercise.  
         [0041]     It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.