Abstract:
A core muscle group training equipment includes a seat, a backrest located on the back side of the seat and a damping mechanism provided at the bottom side of the seat. When sitting on the seat and resting the back on the backrest, the user can selectively bend the upper body forwards and backwards to contract the proximal muscles, or keep the upper body immovable and move the lower body up and down to contract distal muscles. By means of biasing of the seat and the damping effect provided by the damping mechanism during operation, the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles is trained. When releasing the pressure, the damping mechanism returns the machine parts smoothly, preventing accidental injury.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to body exercising apparatus and more particularly, to a core muscle group training equipment that provides equal speed muscular strength training and vibration stimulation. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The so-called core muscle group are the body&#39;s stabilizer muscles between the transverse diaphragm and the pelvis bottom around the waist, abdomen and trunk, including transverse abdominis, lumber multifidi, internal obliques, external oblique, rectus abdominis, quadrates lumborum, erector spinae, respiratory diaphragm and pevc floor. The core muscle group stabilizes the body trunk, provides sufficient support to the vertebra and distributes the load of the vertebra, facilitating quick movement of the limbs. Neglecting core muscle group training tends to lead to full-body deficiency in motion ability. 
         [0005]    In abdominal muscle training, sit-up is the mostly accepted exercise mode for the advantages of simple action and free site applicability. However, performing sit-up gives a great pressure to the vertebra, thereby tending to cause a vertebral injury. Further, frequently turning the head from a position at a lower elevation relative to the body trunk to a position much higher than the elevation of the body trunk during a sit-up exercise, the exerciser may feel dizzy and experience nausea. More particularly, a hypertension patient may feel uncomfortable when doing sit-ups. Therefore, doing sit-ups is not the best way to train abdominal muscles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a core muscle group training equipment, which is practical for training the abdominal muscles and enables the user to keep the head above the elevation of the body trunk during exercise, avoiding discomfort. 
         [0007]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a core muscle group training equipment comprises a seat spaced above the floor at a predetermined elevation, a backrest arranged at the rear side of the seat, and a damping mechanism pivotally coupled to the bottom side of the seat. 
         [0008]    When sitting on the seat and resting the back on the backrest, the user can lift the lower body toward the upper body. By means of biasing of the seat and the damping effect provided by the damping mechanism during operation, the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles is trained. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the core muscle group training equipment further comprises a machine base positioned on the floor and pivotally coupled with the seat and the damping mechanism. Further, the machine base has mounted therein a vibration device adapted for vibrating the seat. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the core muscle group training equipment further comprises two armrests respectively arranged at the left and right sides of the backrest. Each armrest comprises an armrest bar movable forwards and backwards, and a grip located on the front side of the armrest bar. 
         [0011]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a core muscle group training equipment in accordance with an alternate form of the present invention comprises a seat spaced above the floor at a predetermined elevation, a backrest arranged at the rear side of the seat and two armrests. Each armrest comprises an armrest frame fixedly connected to one of the opposite left and right sides of said backrest body member, an armrest bar inserted into the armrest frame and movable forward and backward relative to the armrest frame and a grip arranged at the front end of the armrest bar. When sitting on the seat, the user can rest the back on the backrest and the hands on the armrest bars of the armrests, and then bend the upper body forwards and backwards and simultaneously move the armrest bars of the armrest forwards and backwards, thereby training the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles. 
         [0012]    Preferably, each armrest further comprises a damper connected between the respective armrest frame and the rear end of the respective armrest bar. Preferably, the armrest bar of each armrest comprises a plurality of plugholes longitudinally arranged in a line near the front end thereof; the grip of each armrest is selectively plugged into one of the plugholes of the associating armrest bar. 
         [0013]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a core muscle group training equipment in accordance with another alternate form of the present invention comprises a seat spaced above the floor at a predetermined elevation, a support bar vertically arranged at the rear side of the seat, a backrest connected to the top end of the support bar, and a damper connected between the backrest and the top end of the support art. When sitting on the seat and resting the back on the backrest, the user can lift the legs of the lower body toward the upper body to train the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles, and at the same time, the damper provides a damping effect to buffer the backrest. 
         [0014]    Preferably, the core muscle group training equipment further comprises a machine base positioned on the floor and pivotally coupled with the damper. The machine base has a vibration device mounted therein and adapted to vibrate the seat. 
         [0015]    Preferably, a damping mechanism is provided at the bottom side of the seat to provide a damping effect to the seat. 
         [0016]    Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a sectional side view of a part of the present invention, illustrating the internal structure of the machine base of the core muscle group training equipment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the backrest of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  corresponds to  FIG. 4 , illustrating the backrest body member lowered with the respective damper relative to the support bar. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a sectional side view of one armrest of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  corresponds to  FIG. 6 , illustrating the armrest bar moved forwards relative to the armrest frame. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a schematic applied view of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention (I). 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a schematic applied view of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention (II). 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a schematic applied view of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention (III). 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a schematic applied view of the core muscle group training equipment in accordance with the present invention (IV). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a core muscle group training equipment  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a machine base  20 , a seat  30 , a backrest  40 , two armrests  50  and a damping mechanism  60 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the machine base  20  comprises a housing  22 , and a vibration device  24  mounted inside the housing  22 . The vibration device  24  comprises a power drive  242 , a wheel  244  coupled to and rotatable by the power drive  242  and having a raised portion  248  eccentrically located on the top wall thereof, and a bearing plate  246  supported on the raised portion  248  of the wheel  244  and vibratable by the raised portion  248  during rotation of the wheel  244 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 3  again, the seat  30  is disposed at the top side of the machine base  20  and coupled to the machine base  20  by a linkage  32 , having a transverse stop member  302  suspending in the front bottom side thereof. The linkage  32  comprises a pair of links  34  and a transverse rod (not shown). The links  32  have the opposing top and bottom ends thereof respectively pivotally coupled to the seat  30  and the bearing plate  246  of the vibration device  24 . The transverse rod is connected between the links  34 . Thus, the vibration force produced by the bearing plate  246  of the vibration device  24  can be transferred by the linkage  32  to the seat  30  to cause a synchronous vibration. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5  and  FIGS. 1 and 2  again, the backrest  40  comprises a support bar  42 , a backrest body member  44  and a damper  46 . The support bar  42  has its bottom end connected to the housing  22  of the machine base  20 . The backrest body member  44  is coupled to the top end of the support bar  42  and movable up and down relative to the support bar  42 , having an accommodation groove  442  located on the middle of the front wall thereof and adapted for accommodating the lumbar spine area of the user&#39;s back. The damper  46  consists of a hydraulic cylinder  47  and a spring member  48 . The hydraulic cylinder  47  comprises a cylinder body  472  affixed to the backrest body member  44 , and a piston rod  474  movable in and out of the cylinder body  472  and coupled with the free end thereof to the top end of the support bar  42 . Thus, the hydraulic cylinder  47  imparts a damping resistance to the backrest body member  44  when the backrest body member  44  is being moved downwards relative to the support bar  42  by an external force. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the spring member  48  is sleeved onto the piston rod  474  of the hydraulic cylinder  47  and stopped with its two distal ends against the cylinder body  472  of the hydraulic cylinder  47  and the free end of the piston rod  474  respectively for imparting a return force to the backrest body member  44 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIGS. 1 and 2  again, each armrest  50  comprises an armrest frame  52 , an armrest bar  54 , a damper  56  and a grip  58 . The armrest frame  52  is fixedly connected to one of the opposite left and right sides of the backrest body member  44  and extending forwardly relative to the seat  30 . The armrest bar  54  is inserted with its rear end into the armrest frame  52  and movable forward and backward relative to the armrest frame  52 , having a plurality of plugholes  542  longitudinally arranged in a line near the front end thereof. The structure of the damper  56  is same as the damper  46  of the backrest  40 , and therefore no further structural description is necessary. The damper  56  is connected between the armrest frame  52  and the rear end of the armrest bar  54  so that the armrest bar  54  can be buffered by the damping resistance of the hydraulic cylinder  562  and the spring force of the spring member  564 . The grip  58  is selectively insertable with its bottom end into one of the plughole  542  for holding by different user having different body sizes. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the damping mechanism  60  comprises two pairs of dampers  62 . The dampers  62  have the same structure as the damper  46  of the backrest  40 , and therefore no further structural description is necessary. One pair of dampers  56  are pivotally connected between the seat  30  and the transverse rod of the linkage  32 . The other pair of dampers  56  is pivotally connected between the links  34  of the linkage  32  and the bearing plate  246  of the vibration device  24 . Thus, the dampers  56  provide a damping effect to the seat  30  during biasing of the seat  30 . 
         [0034]    After understanding the structural details of the core muscle group training equipment  10 , the method of use and characteristics of the core muscle group training equipment  10  are outlined hereinafter. 
         [0035]    Step a): Sit with the hips on the seat  30  and lie the back on the backrest body member  44  to let the lumbar spine area of the back be rested in the accommodation groove  442  of the backrest body member  44  and to keep the upper body erect, and then hold the position adjusted grips  58  with the two hands and stop the insteps of the legs against the transverse stop member  302  of the seat  30 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0036]    Step b): Move one of the upper body and the lower body toward the other of the upper body and the lower body to contract the abdominal muscles, thereby training the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles. 
         [0037]    When performing Step b), the user can keep the lower body immobile and bend the upper body alternatively forwards and backwards. At this time, the user can move the armrest bars  54 , stabilizing the forward bending action and keeping the lumbar spine straight, as shown in  FIG. 8 . Thereafter, the damper  56  of each armrest  50  provides a buffer effect when the user is bending the upper body backwards, and one exercising cycle is completed when the user rests the back on the backrest body member  44  and keeps the upper body erect, as shown in  FIG. 10 . Thus, a user with an endomorph body type can effectively train the muscle strength of the upper abdominal muscles by repeating this forward and backward bending action. 
         [0038]    On the other hand, a user can keep the upper body immobile and move the lower body alternatively up and down. When the user lifts the lower body, the seat  30  will be biased subject to the downward pressure from the user&#39;s hips and the pressure from the insteps of the users legs that are stopped against the transverse stop member  302  of the seat  30 , and the damping mechanism  60  will be stretched during biasing of the seat  30 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . At the same time, the backrest body member  44  will be forced by the pressure from the user&#39;s back to compress the damper  46  of the backrest  40 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . When the user is lowering the legs, the seat  30  will be returned to its former position by the return force of the damping mechanism  60 , and the backrest body member  44  will be moved gradually upwardly to its former position by the return force of the damper  46  of the backrest  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8 . Thus, repeating this action effectively trains the muscle strength of the lower abdominal muscles. 
         [0039]    When wishing to increase the training intensity, the user can exercise the aforesaid two actions to train the upper and lower abdominal muscles. During the aforesaid two exercise actions, the vibration force produced by the bearing plate  246  of the vibration device  24  is transferred by the linkage  32  to the seat  30  to activate the user&#39;s abdominal muscles. Further, subject to the damping effects of the dampers  46 , vibration stimulation can simply be transferred to the user&#39;s abdomen and will not be transferred to the user&#39;s head, avoiding user discomfort. 
         [0040]    In conclusion, the core muscle group training equipment of the present invention enables the user to train the muscle strength of the abdominal muscles in a sitting position and to keep the head above the elevation of the body trunk, and therefore a person suffering hypertension will not feel uncomfortable when operating the core muscle group training equipment to train the core muscles, or a person suffering hypotension will not feel faint easily when using the core muscle group training equipment. Further, the damping effects of the dampers used in the core muscle group training equipment provide sufficient buffer, preventing lumbar spine or muscle injury due to a quick return action and assuring a high level of protection. Further, the damping force of every damper is adjustable subject to the muscle strength of every individual user, and therefore the core muscle group training equipment fits different users. 
         [0041]    Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.