Abstract:
An exercise staff is comprised of two half staffs which can be coupled together. Each half staff includes a handle portion and a base portion, connected by a spring. An inner cylinder connected to the handle portion has an L-shaped groove with an axial segment. A pin in the base portion engages the groove and when the pin is in the axial portion of the groove, the handle and base portions may be separated with resistance by the spring. The handle portion is adapted to receive inserts of varying weights to modify the mass of the staff in use.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to portable fitness equipment, such as weighted or non-weighted bars, martial arts fighting sticks, elastic tubing, Indian clubs, a simple broom stick or dowel, as well as weights that can be housed inside the handle, or dumbbells. 
     2. General Background and State of the Art 
     In the field of personal training, when there is a requirement for the fitness trainers to travel and provide services to their clients and the clients to not own or have access to certain pieces of equipment, the trainer has to bring the equipment along. In many cases, in order to address the needs of each individual client, more than one device or tool is required and carrying all the equipment at once can be cumbersome and inconvenient. What is needed, and what is not presently available, is a versatile, yet highly portable exercise device that will enable training in diverse disciplines. 
     INVENTION SUMMARY 
     The present invention offers the portability, versatility and ability to deliver several training modalities and approaches at once, through a convenient, lightweight and unique design. Various degrees of resistance are provided through the use of tension springs as well as weight loading options. Leverage can be varied by using the invention in its full length with the two connected staves forming one, or by using only one or both unit staves in their non-connected form, depending on the needs, skills and abilities of the user. 
     Each unit staff is hollow and is comprised of two telescoping members, joined by a tensioning member which, in a preferred embodiment, can be a coil spring. One of the members has an internal pin which rides in a groove of the other member so that a slight rotation of the members relative to each other permits axial motion of the members against the tension spring. Normally, the members are locked together. 
     At one end of each unit staff is an end cap which, when removed, permits the insertion of weight elements of various values, preferably in half pound increments so that a weight of any selected value can be added to the unit staff. In the preferred embodiments, the weight elements are metal cylinders of uniform length sized to occupy an interior volume of the unit staff. It may be desirable to allow the weight element to oscillate within the unit staff and the weight element would be sized accordingly. 
     At the other end of each unit staff is a coupling member which allows two unit staff members to be conjoined to create a longer exercise staff that can be used in outstretched arms to accommodate a greater variety of exercise and martial art activities. Such a full length staff could also be fitted with a pin or foot for use as a walking or hiking staff. 
     The novel features which are characteristic of the invention, both as to structure and method of operation thereof, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and they are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exercise staff separated into component half staffs according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  including  FIGS. 2A and 2B  is an exploded and cutaway view of the constituent parts of a half staff element; 
         FIG. 3 , including  FIGS. 3A and 3B  is a cut away top view of a staff in a closed configuration and in an opened configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an exercise staff  10  according to the present invention. As shown, the staff  10  is composed of two half staff elements  12 ,  12 ′. A female threaded end cap  14  at the end of one staff  12  receives the male threaded end cap  16  of the other half staff  12 ′ to form a completed staff  10 . 
       FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of half staff  12  although both halves are symmetrical and, except for the end caps, are interchangeable. A handle tube  18  has a guide tube  20  which includes, on the exterior an L-shaped tracking groove  22 . The guide tube  20  attaches to the inner end of the handle tube  18  and is adapted to telescope into an intermediate tube  24  which has, at the inner end, the female threaded end cap  14 . 
     An optional ballast tube  26  can telescope into the outer end of the handle tube  18 . In preferred embodiments, the ballast tube  26  can add additional weight to the half staff  12  in amounts ranging from ½ pound 5 pounds to in one-half pound increments. With weights in both half staffs  12 ,  12 ′, the weight of the exercise staff can be increased from one pound to ten pounds in the preferred embodiments. In alternative embodiments, greater weights could be added by utilizing different materials for the ballast. 
       FIG. 2B  is a cutaway view of a portion of the intermediate tube  24 , showing a portion of the inserted guide tube  20 . A tensioning spring  28  is mounted in the interior of the intermediate tube  24  and, through a tension link  30 , is connected to the guide tube  20 . While a spring is used in the preferred embodiment, other tensioning materials can be utilized including neoprene, rubber or other elastomers. A handle pin  32  can anchor the tension link  30  to the guide tube  20  and the tensioning spring  28  can be anchored to the intermediate tube  24  with an anchor pin  34  that captures either one end of the tensioning spring  28  or an intermediate link (not shown) which connects to the opposite end of the tensioning spring  28 . 
     A tracking pin  36  in the intermediate tube  24  engages the tracking groove  22  of the guide tube  20 . When the parts are fully assembled, the tracking pin  36  in the L portion of the tracking groove  22  permits limited rotation of the tubes relative to each other about the central axis. The tensioning spring  28  provides sufficient rotational bias so that the tracking pin  36  remains in the circumferentially oriented portion of the tracking groove  22 . Rotation of the handle tube  18  relative to the intermediate tube  24  is only permitted in one direction by the tracking groove  22 . 
     When the tracking pin  36  reaches the axially oriented portion of the tracking groove  22 , the handle tube  18  and the intermediate tube  24  are free for translational motion in the axial direction against the resistance of the tensioning spring  28 . When the handle tube  18  and the intermediate tube  24  are fully collapsed together, they will rotate relative to each other and the tracking pin  36  will again be in the circumferential portion of the tracking groove  22 .  FIG. 2C  shows the half staff  12  in that normal, resting state. 
       FIG. 3A  is a cutaway view of the staff  10  in a closed configuration with the various component parts shown in place. As shown, the parts in half staff  12 ′ use the same reference numbers as their counterparts in the half staff  12  but with the prime symbol. Thus spring  28  of half staff  12  has a counterpart spring  28 ′ in half staff  12 ′. Similarly in  FIG. 3B , the staff  10  is shown in the expanded configuration. 
     The present invention solves the problems of poor joint mobility, poor flexibility, coordination and tightness, notably at the shoulder (glenuhumeral), hips, lumbar and thoracic spine levels. Additionally, it solves the problem of assessing one&#39;s poor posture issues without having to necessarily see a health care practitioner (although not a diagnostic tool), which is still advised for diagnosis and treatment. 
     Using invention specific progressive simple drills, the user improves glenohumeral joint mobility (shoulder), which also recruits other joints in the body, to effectively increase range of motion, flexibility, muscle tone as well as identify, correct and assess muscular imbalances. It also provides an easy way to correctly warm up and prepare muscles and joints for any workout, or simply relieve stiffness in the joints. 
     The extendable staff can be separated into halves and used as 2 pieces as well as one solid longer piece. For less flexible users, the extension affords the ability to perform the movements. Shoulder tightness is connected to hip tightness, which is linked to low back pain, which then diminishes overall movement ability, something from which the majority of the population suffers and doesn&#39;t treat effectively. 
     When the halves are connected to form the full length (4 ft.) staff, movements can be performed with it, as qualified personal trainers or therapists may use a dowel or stick. This provides limited uses for those who do not have the proper flexibility or joint mobility. With the quick release at the center of each half staff, the spring loaded mechanism allows the user to stretch the staff to accommodate the user&#39;s current ability, until the user can perform the movement without the need for the extension (much like having training wheels on a bicycle). Overhead squats, shoulder brachiation techniques, wrist, elbow, shoulder and hip mobility drills can be performed. On any given day, a person can feel “stiff” (after traveling, sitting at a desk too long, sore from a previous training session or any other limiting factor) and the staff can be adjusted to the user&#39;s current condition, effectively improving it within a few movements. 
     Separated into its component halves, it can be used like Indian clubs, where one can use one arm or both, therefore one or both half staffs can be used for isolateral/unilateral work versus bilateral work. With the ballast (additional weights) weights inserted, one can increase the load to perform resistance training exercises, just as with a bar bell, based on one&#39;s ability. 
     The full staff can also be utilized for various martial arts drills, notably Kali, Eskrima and other martial arts of the type popularized in motion pictures such as Hanna, the Bourne series, The Book of Eli, among others, as well as in staff fighting or stick fighting, The staff of the present invention can also be used for corrective assessment drills (spinal alignment, proper squatting, core stability and more). 
     The staff has a quick release mechanism that keeps it as a 4 ft unit with the halves connected and may have either a knurled or other textured grip so it can be quickly coupled or separated without having to twist more than a half turn. The same principle is used at the end of the 2 connected half staffs where the extensibility occurs, except that instead of separating, there is a spring that allows each half to extend and return to its original configuration, much as a rubber band would. 
     As one piece, coil springs inside connect the outer end portions to the to the main/center portion which allows the staff to extend a few inches in each direction providing the user who lacks the necessary flexibility to essentially stretch the staff so that the user can perform a particular exercise requiring motion, be it an overhead squat or a brachiation drill (combining the benefits of a rubber tubing with a broomstick). As the users flexibility improves over time, the halves can be reconfigured to be a rigid full staff to continue the same drills but at greater flexibility and increased difficulty levels. 
     As one piece the full staff can be used for multiple martial arts drills as well as many corrective drills, such as postural assessments or movement screening (deep squat, overhead extension squat, in line lunge). Also, by inserting ballast weights inside the free end of the half staff (by removing the end cap), the user benefits from added resistance which increases the difficulty level of all drills for better strength development, just as a fitness body bar, essentially used as a bar bell with the weight already inside the bar. With the halves separated, not only does it make it easier to carry for travel but it readily fits into a gym bag, 
     Thus there has been shown and described an novel exercise staff which is suitable for tor physical training, martial arts training or any other suitable activity. Modifications and variations will occur to those skilled in the art and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.