Abstract:
A portable exercise device for exercising the abdominal muscles is disclosed. The device includes a wheel and a handle. The handle is formed from two handle parts that are releasably attachable to one another to form a bearing surface upon which the wheel is mounted. Various forms of attachment mechanisms are disclosed which lock the device into an exercise position and bear the load on the device when used for exercising. The portable exercise device provides a strong, lightweight, easy to use device that can be broken down into three component parts for storage and transportation and easily assembled to provide a device for exercising the abdominal muscles.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/310,454, filed on Aug. 8, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a portable exercise device.  
           [0004]    2. Brief Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    One of the more popular physical training devices that is commercially available today is a device for exercising the abdominal muscles. One such device is known as the so-called “Ab-Roller.” These devices are characterized by a centralized wheel or wheels, which are designed to roll on the floor or other flat surface and two handles of some kind affixed to the wheel or wheels. The user grasps one handle with each hand, and kneels on the ground bending forward so that the wheel or wheels are on the ground in front of them. Then, the user goes forward and backward rolling the wheel on the ground to exercise at least the abdominal muscles.  
           [0006]    There is a need in the art for a portable version of this type of abdominal exercise device, which can be easily transported and stored. There is also a need for a portable abdominal exercise device that is lightweight and durable. There is a further need for a portable abdominal exercise device that can be easily disassembled for storage and reassembled for use.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, it is an object of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide a portable exercise device, which can be easily transported and stored.  
           [0008]    It is a further object of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide a portable exercise device that is lightweight and durable.  
           [0009]    It is a still further object of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide a portable exercise device that can be easily disassembled for storage and reassembled for use.  
           [0010]    These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the summary and detailed descriptions of the invention that follow.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention relates to a portable exercise device, which includes at least one wheel and at least two handles attached to either side of said at least one wheel. The device is characterized by the fact that it can be easily disassembled into two or more elements for transport and storage. For this purpose, the device includes a releasable attachment between the at least one wheel and the at least two handles attached either side of the at least one wheel. The device of the present invention is particularly advantageous in that it can be easily disassembled for storage and transport and can be easily reassembled for use to thereby encourage the owner to exercise when travelling away from home. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a top view of a portable exercise device in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a side view of the male handle part of a first embodiment of the exercise device of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a female handle part of the first embodiment of the exercise device of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a release pin in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the release pin of FIG. 4 taken along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the first embodiment of the female handle part of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a top view of a second embodiment of a portion of a female handle part in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a male axle for use with the female handle part of FIG. 7.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of along the line  9 - 9  of FIG. 7.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a side view of a suitable ball detent for use with the female handle member  78  of FIG. 9.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the ball detent shown in FIG. 9.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a partial cutaway view of portion of the male member shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the female member of FIGS. 7 and 9, which fits with the handle of FIG. 12.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 14 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the exercise device of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    The present invention relates to a portable exercise device, which is especially suitable for exercising the abdominal muscles. Like numerals in different figures represent the same elements of the device.  
         [0027]    Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a top view of a portable exercise device  10  in accordance with the present invention. The device includes two main parts, a wheel  12  and a handle  14  formed from handle parts  16 ,  18 . Handle parts  16 ,  18  each includes a grip  20 ,  22  on at least the outer portion of handle parts  16 ,  18  for gripping by the user during exercise. Grips  20 ,  22  may be made from any suitable material and preferably have good friction and wear characteristics.  
         [0028]    In essence, handle parts  16 ,  18  can be readily disassembled from one another and from wheel  12  to reduce the device  10  to three distinct parts  12 ,  16  and  18 . These parts  12 ,  16  and  18  can be easily stored in a relatively small space and can be transported with, for example, a business traveler. When it is desired to use device  10 , it can be easily reassembled from parts  12 ,  16  and  18  for use.  
         [0029]    Wheel  12  preferably has an outer portion made of polyurethane material so that it is soft, slightly deformable and has good friction and wear characteristics in use. One suitable wheel  12  for use in the invention is the type of wheel, which may be found on scooters such as the Razor® Scooter.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a first embodiment of handle part  16  which forms part of a device  10  that employs a detent means to releasably attach handle parts  16  and  18  together. In this embodiment, handle part  16  is a male handle part, and handle part  18 , shown in FIGS.  3 - 4 , is a female handle part. Male handle part  16  includes a grip  20 , an axle  24  and a locking mechanism  26 . Axle  24  is designed to pass through a central bore (shown in FIG. 14) having a bearing surface (shown in FIG. 14) in wheel  12  and into a central bore  69  in female handle part  18 .  
         [0031]    Distal end  28  of axle  24  fits into central bore  69  of female handle part  18  upon assembly. Locking mechanism  26  in axle  24  engages release pin bore  30  in female handle part  18  to lock male handle part  16  and female handle part  18  together via a snap-fit arrangement. Locking mechanism  26  is spring-loaded for this purpose. Central bore  69  in female handle part  18  must have sufficient clearance for axle  24  of male handle part  16  to slide in and/or out easily.  
         [0032]    Female handle part  18  includes a release pin bore  32  into which a release pin  50  fits as shown, for example, in FIGS. 3 and 6. Release pin  50  includes a slot  52  into which set screw  34  fits and also includes a head  53 . Head  53  is raised up a short distance  54  from female handle part  18  to leave room for a grip, not shown, and to allow some downward movement of release pin  50  relative to female handle part  18  to position the bottom surface  56  of release pin  50  flush with the end of release pin bore  32  for disengaging locking mechanism  26  when disassembly is desired.  
         [0033]    Below release pin  50  in release pin bore  32  there is a distance  55 , which must be sufficient to allow locking mechanism  26  to fully engage with release pin bore  32 . When distal end  28  of axle  24  is fitted into central bore  69  as shown in FIG. 6, locking mechanism  26  engages with release pin bore  32  in female handle part  18  to lock male handle part  16  and female handle part  18  together via a snap fit. Release pin bore  32 , must also have sufficient clearance to permit release pin  50  to move up and down relative to female handle part  18 .  
         [0034]    In an alternative embodiment, not shown, it is not necessary to have a slot  52  in release pin  50  and the set screw  34  is omitted. FIG. 3 shows the release pin  50  in the position wherein locking mechanism  26  locks female handle part  18  with male handle part  16 . FIG. 6 shows the release pin  50  in the position wherein it disengages locking mechanism  26  to release male handle part  16  from female handle part  18 .  
         [0035]    Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown another embodiment of the present invention wherein a female handle part  78  includes a threaded hole  79  therein to accept a spring-loaded ball detent  90 . The distal end of a corresponding male axle  76  is shown in FIG. 8. Male axle  76  includes a slot  75  therein which aligns with the end of ball detent  90  in female handle part  78  when the device  10  is assembled for use. Male axle  76  passes through the central bore in wheel  12  and into the central bore  80  of female handle part  78 . Male handle part  16  and female handle part  78  are then rotated, for example about 90 degrees, relative to one another to lock them together using ball detent  90 .  
         [0036]    At the end of the 90 degree travel of ball detent  90  in slot  75 , the ball detent  90  is pushed into an indentation  77  to achieve a snug fit and provides sufficient strength to the device  10  to bear the user&#39;s weight.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIGS. 9 and 13 depict a threaded hole  82  through one wall of the end of the female handle part  79 , which includes a central bore  69 . Threaded hole  82  is designed to accept a threaded ball detent  90 , as shown in FIGS.  10 - 11 . Ball detent  90  includes a slot  93  for insertion of a screwdriver for assembly and fine-tuning. The ball  91  is spring-loaded by a spring  105  and will require radial force greater than that developed during normal usage to release the ball detent  90  from the indentation  77  at the end of slot  75  on male axle  76 .  
         [0038]    Referring to FIG. 11, the details of ball detent  90  are shown. The ball detent  90  includes a ball  91 , a slot  93  for insertion of a screwdriver and a spring  105  which can be loosened or tightened by screwing ball detent  90  in slot  79  of female member  78  as described above. FIGS.  12 - 13  show different views of male axle  76  and female handle part  78 .  
         [0039]    Referring to FIG. 14 there is shown a further embodiment of the present invention in an exploded view. The device  200  of FIG. 14 includes a male handle part  210 , a female handle part  220  and a wheel  230 . Male handle part  210  includes a central portion  211  which is preferably made from a strong, lightweight material to provide sufficient strength to male handle part  210  to bear the weight of the user. Male handle part  210  also includes an outer portion  212 , which is preferably made from a soft, resilient material having desirable frictional properties to function as a grip for the user.  
         [0040]    Embedded or otherwise affixed in central portion  211  is a threaded shaft  213  provided with threads  214  on the outer surface of the distal end thereof and may have a bearing surface  215 , as shown. Threaded shaft  213  should be made from a strong material as it will have to bear the force of the weight of the user. Threaded shaft  213  is designed to pass through bore  231  in wheel  230  such that bearing surface  215  aligns with the internal bearing surface of bore  231  in wheel  230 . Threaded shaft  213  will function as an axle for wheel  230  and thus bearing surface  215  must allow free rotation of the internal bearing surface of bore  231  about threaded shaft  213 .  
         [0041]    The distal end of threaded shaft  213  is designed to screw into threaded bore  223  in female handle member  220  by virtue of threads  224  on the internal surface of threaded bore  223 , until there it a tight fit between male handle member  210 , wheel  230  and female handle member  220 . Female handle member  220  also includes a central portion  221  which is preferably made from a strong, lightweight material and an outer portion  222 , which is preferably made from a soft, resilient material having desirable frictional properties to function as a grip for the user.  
         [0042]    The preferred wheel  230  includes a central portion  232  which forms the bore  231  and provides strength to wheel  230 , and an outer portion  233  which provides the desired frictional, wear and weight characteristics to the wheel. Central portion  232  may be made from metal or hard plastic materials and outer portion  233  is preferably made from polyurethane, natural or synthetic rubbers or plastics or other suitable materials. Similarly, central portions  211 ,  221  may be made from metal or hard plastic materials and outer portions  212 ,  222  made be made from polyurethane, polyurethane foams, natural or synthetic rubbers, plastics or other suitable materials known for use as grips. Central portions  211 ,  221  include suitable materials to form bearing surfaces, where required. Outer portions  212 ,  221  may optionally include a contour to make gripping the device easier. One suitable contour includes a plurality of indentations for each finger of the hand.  
         [0043]    Many modifications and variations within the scope of the invention will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description. The scope of the invention is not to be limited by the specific embodiments described above.