Abstract:
A home exercise device is of greater value when it is capable of multiple functions and can be easily stored when not in use. Lightweight springs are used in place of heavy weight plates to reduce shipping costs and simplify storage. The device also includes a frame that supports a base, providing linear movement of the base relative to the frame. A bar, with spring tension, is coupled to a multi-position lock. This allows the bar to be positioned in a variety of locations relative to the frame and the user, thereby providing a variety of exercises. A head portion is also provided that includes a torsion spring. This spring can be engaged or disengaged from the frame to allow the user to provide spring tension to resist movement of the head portion. The diversity of movable components offers a vast variety of exercises that can be performed on the unit as well as enabling the unit to fold down for storage when not in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention generally relates to devices for performing physical exercise. More specifically, the present invention relates to space efficient exercise devices that are capable of multiple exercise function. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   As our society becomes more technologically advanced, our bodies are faced with fewer physical demands. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, our physical bodies require stress in the form of resistance training and cardiovascular training. In the interest of efficiency, products have To been created for the intended purpose of use in the home. This accommodates busy lifestyles in that the user can save travel time to a health club or gym by exercising at home. Since most homes are not made to include a gym, space is of a premium. Therefore, devices that provide a multitude of exercises in a single unit and are able to fold away for storage when not in use are greatly desirable. Spring resistance can be advantageous when used on such a device because weight plates, which are heavy to move and inexpensive to ship can be replaced with this lightweight mode of energy storage. The larger muscles of the body, such as the hip and leg extensors are preferably utilized on such a piece of home exercise equipment. Doing so not only allows strength training of these valuable muscle groups, but at low resistance the repeated movement for a prolonged period of time (over 15 minutes) can provide a very effective form of cardiovascular exercise. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one aspect, of the invention features an exercise device including a frame, and a base adapted for linear motion and supported by the frame. A multi-position lock is mounted to the frame, the lock enabling a plurality of secure angular orientations relative to the frame. A bar is adapted to couple to the multi-position lock and a head portion is pivotally mounted to the frame. The frame includes a spring that is releasably coupled to the frame thereby, when engaged the spring allows resistance to movement of the head portion. 
   The system may also include the frame and the base being adapted for linear motion by use of, in combination, a male tube and a female tube that telescope relative to one another. The multi-position lock may be comprised of a first portion that is releasably secured to a second portion, the first portion mounted to the frame and the second portion adapted to receive the bar. 
   The bar is preferably further comprised of a free end, a handle and a flexible portion. The flexible portion is preferably comprised of a coil spring that is mounted between the free end and the handle. 
   The head portion preferably includes a head frame mounted to a head support and the head frame is mounted to the spring. The spring may be comprised of a torsion spring that is releasably coupled to the frame by way of a locking pin and a spring ear. This can be accomplished by the locking pin being movably mounted to the frame and the spring ear being mounted to the spring. The base may also include at least one wheel capable of articulation on a supportive surface. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description, when read together with the accompanying drawings, as described: 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an assembled multifunction exercise device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of a multifunction exercise device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of an assembled multifunction exercise device in a single position, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an assembled multifunction exercise device showing multiple starting positions of the back and bar, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of an assembled multifunction exercise device shown as it could be used, the device produced in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   For the most part, and as will be apparent when referring to the figures, when an item is used unchanged in more than one figure, it is identified by the same alphanumeric reference indicator in all figures. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The present invention is an exercise device that includes multiple components that are adjustable to provide a great variety of exercise variation in a single unit. In  FIG. 1 , the device  10  includes a base  12  that provides linear movement relative to the frame  14 . This can be accomplished in a variety of ways but the most cost efficient is by use of telescoping tubes, in this case a female tube  16  as part of the frame  14  and a male tube  18  as part of the base  12 . Variation to these elements and specifics of the components are not considered critical to the novelty of the invention and therefore variations can exist. The given combination allows linear movement and tracking of the base  12  relative to the frame  14  with minimal number of parts. 
   Resistance to movement of the base  12  relative to the frame  14  can be provided by tensions cords  20 . These cords  20  can vary in individual tension and number of cords used. Only two cords  20  are shown in this figure, but there could be as many as six in that the cords are suspended between the base hooks  22  and the frame hooks  24 . In the preferred embodiment there are six base hooks  22  and six frame hooks  24 , but this number can vary as needed to supply more tension or to limit the tension capability of the device  10 . 
   The base  12  is shown here to include a handle  26 . This can be used to support the feet of a user or the hands of a user, depending upon the orientation of the user relative to the device  10 . A pair of wheels  28  are also mounted to the base  12 . This allows the base  12  to move over a supportive surface with minimal drag or friction. Friction in a piece of exercise equipment is in many cases undesirable. Friction causes wear, which prematurely shortens the useful life of the device. More importantly, friction is a non-conserved energy. This means that the user&#39;s force production during the concentric phase (muscle shortening) of movement is the resistance plus the friction. During the eccentric phase (muscle lengthening) of movement the resistance the user feels is the resistance applied by the device minus the force of friction. The muscles of the body are always stronger during the eccentric phase as compared to the concentric phase; therefore a device with excessive friction exacerbates this inherent difference and thereby reduces the effectiveness of the exercise device. Therefore friction reducing elements such as rolling friction wheels and simplistic guidance and tracking systems can be desirable. 
   The frame includes a pair of movable locks  30 . These locks  30  can be released and engaged by articulating the lock tab  32 . When released, the holes  34  can be rotated to different angular orientations, as depicted by the arrow  36 . A bar  38 , which includes free ends that are received by the holes  34  in the locks  30  are then capable of being positioned in an infinite number of angular orientations relative to the frame  14 . The locks  30  are intended to set the starting position of the bar  38  in this, the preferred embodiment. A pair of springs  40  are included in the structure of the bar  38 . The bar post  42  does not extend through the spring  40 , thus allowing a front to rear resistance to movement of force applied to the bar handle  44  by flexion of the spring  40  that is then countered by the frame  14  by way of the locks  30 . This movement is illustrated by the front arrow  46  and rear arrow  48 . A seat pad  50  is positioned adjacent to the locks  30  to aid in supporting the user during operation of the device  10 . 
   Another unique feature of the invention  10  is found in the head portion  52 . The head portion  52  includes a head frame  54  that supports a head support  56 . This frame  54  is a structural member that, in the preferred embodiment, is a piece of steel tubing, but is not limited to any particular material or form. The structural integrity of the frame  54  is evident not only in its ability to support the head support  56 , but a torsion spring  58  is attached to each side of the support  54 . The springs  58  are attached to spring ears  60  which are releasably engaged with the pin  62 . The spring  58  is generally supported by a mandrel that is mounted to the head ears  64  by way of a hole  66 . This allows the spring  58  and entire head portion  52  to be pivotally mounted to the frame  14 . By engaging the spring ears  60  with the pin  62 , the torsion springs  58  offer resistance to movement of the head portion  52  by the user. Movement of the head portion  52  is depicted by the arrow  68 . The head portion  52  would typically go through such a movement to engage the ears  60  with the pins  62 . 
   It is to be understood that the use of the term “torsion spring” applies to any spring that is capable of applying a torsional load. This can be an extension spring, a leaf spring or any other form that can provide torsional bias between the head frame  54  and the head ears  60 . The term “torsion spring” is intended to be descriptive and not limiting to the scope of the invention. 
   In  FIG. 2 , the seat pad  50  and the bar  38  have been removed to better show the detail of the device  10 . The bar  38  includes a pair of free ends  70  which are received by the holes  34 . There are a variety of methods of attachment of these parts together, but the inventor has found that simple friction between the mating parts is sufficient to hold the bar  38  in the locks  30  due to the orthogonal forces that are inherently applied during the front to rear flexion during the exercises. If an additional clamping force was needed, the free ends  70  could be fitted with a contour or ridge that is received by the internal structure of the lock  30 . The lock  30  could also be fitted with a friction lock that not only locks to the frame  14 , but clamps down on the free end  70  of the bar  38  through manipulation of the lock tab  32 . Frame ears  72  can be used to support the seat pad  50 , but are not critical to the novelty of the invention. Any of a variety of forms of attachment can be used as long as it does not interfere with the tracking of the base  12  with the frame  14 . 
   A side view of the device  10  is shown in  FIG. 3 . Here the unit is in a fully extended position with the bar  38  set perpendicular to the frame  14  by virtue of the lock  30 . The spring ears  60  are disengaged from the pin  62 . The base  12  is retracted within the frame  14  by the tension applied from the tension cords  20 . The device  10  is set in one position that is ready for a user to perform a variety of exercises. 
   A variation of the previous is shown in  FIG. 4 . Here the bar  38  is shown in a vertical position, in a position rotated forward  74  and one rotated to the rear  76 . It is to be noted that the springs  40  on the bars  38  are not deformed, therefore the displacement of the bar  38  to the various positions is done by movement of the lock  30 , not through movement during the exercise. The head portion is also shown in two positions. The dashed line shows the head portion  52  in a down position similar to if the torsion spring (as disclosed previously) were disengaged from the frame. In the upper position (solid lines) the head portion is almost vertical. The weight of the head portion  52  will cause some deformation of the torsion spring and would naturally position the head portion  52  in a position similar to that shown. The lower position (dashed lines) would be achieved by the user pushing against the head portion  38  to displace it to this lower position against the tension of the torsion spring. This is further illustrated in the following figure. 
   A sample exercise is shown in  FIG. 5 . This is only one example of a virtually endless list of exercises that can be performed on the device  10 . It is understood that this is only one example of the versatility of device  10 . The user  78  is positioned supine on the device  10  with feet  80  against the base  12 , lower torso  82  on the seat pad  50  and head  84  and shoulders on the head support  56  of the head portion  52 . With the spring ear  60  locked to the frame, the head portion  56  offers resistance to movement down as depicted by the down arrow  86 . The upward movement of the upper body of the user  78 , as depicted by the up arrow  88 , is either assisted by the torsion spring or completely provided by the torsion of that spring, depending upon the tension of the spring used. If the tension is great enough, the user will push the head portion  56  down and the spring will push the user up again. If the spring provides less tension, the weight of the upper body of the user may be greater than the spring&#39;s tension capability. In this case, the resistance provided by the torsion spring acting on the head portion  52  of the device  10  will simply assist the user in performing a sit-up. This is done by supplementing the trunk flexor muscles by “removing” a portion of the user&#39;s affective upper bodyweight by virtue of tension in the spring. 
   A second part of the exercise is in the leg\hip extension movement that takes place by pressing the user&#39;s  78  feet  80  against the handle  26  of the base  12 . The wheels  28  are supported on the floor  90 , or other supportive surface, as the base  12  extends away from the frame  14 . This movement is illustrated by the forward arrow  92 . The return movement (rear arrow  94 ) offers an eccentric action to the extensor muscles of the hips and legs of the user  78 , as well as recoils the device  10  to prepare for another repetition. This eccentric action, concentric resistance and recoil is due to the tension cords  20  which draw the base  12  toward the frame  14 . As previously disclosed, these cords  20  can vary in tension and number of cords to alter the resistance to meet the individual training needs of the user  78 . 
   The upper body component of this exercise is provided by the bar  38 . The bar handle  44  makes direct contact with the hands  96  of the user  78 . The bar  38  is locked into place by the lock  30 . As force is applied to the bar handle  44  the spring  44  deforms in an inferior direction as depicted by the inferior arrow  98 . The elastic properties of the spring  40  offer resistance to deformation and require the user  78  to resist movement back to an upright or neutral position. This movement is shown by the superior arrow  100 . This provides a concentric and an eccentric action for the arm, chest and shoulder muscles of the user  78 . 
   It is understood that this is only one example of the use and embodiment of the invention as seen by the inventor. This version is shown in that it is considered by the inventor to be the preferred embodiment, though many details as disclosed are not intended to be considered limiting.