Abstract:
An upper body exercise apparatus includes a spring positioned in a housing interior area. First and second cables have respective first ends operatively coupled to the spring and respective second ends extending away from the housing. Respective movements of the first and second cables away from the housing cause the spring to move toward a biased configuration. The exercise apparatus includes a transmission configured such that an outward movement of the first cable in the absence of an outward movement of the second cable causes all of the springs resistance to be transmitted to the first cable, an outward movement of the second cable in the absence of movement of the first cable causes all of the spring&#39;s resistance to be transmitted to the second cable, and an outward movement by both cables causes the spring&#39;s resistance to be distributed equally between the first and second cables.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional patent application that claims the benefit of Provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/347,135 filed on May 21, 2010 titled Cycling Bike Attachments and Method of Use Thereof. The provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to upper body exercise equipment and, more particularly, to a resistance type upper body exercise apparatus configured for attachment to a stationary bicycle exercise device so that a user may exercise both his upper and lower body without mounting and/or dismounting the stationary bicycle. 
     Using a stationary bicycle exercising device is a popular form of exercise and is useful for working one&#39;s legs as well as for cardiovascular exercise. In order to provide a more rounded or balanced workout including the upper body, a user sometimes uses resistance devices such as exercise tubes, spring devices, or actual weights. 
     Although utilizing a stationary bicycle for lower body exercise and resistance devices for upper body exercise are both effective for their intended purposes, obtaining a full body workout requires a user to repeatedly mount and dismount the stationary bicycle. In other words, a user may ride the bicycle for a period of time, then dismount and use the upper body resistance bands, and then repeat these steps again and again. Unfortunately, individuals who participate in this type of exercise identify the repeated mounting and/or dismounting as the most dislike part of their exercise routine. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to have an upper body resistance-type exercise apparatus configured for attachment to a traditional stationary bicycle such that both the upper and lower body may be exercised without mounting and dismounting the bicycle. Further, it would be desirable to have an upper body resistance-type exercise apparatus that provides multiple degrees of resistance that are selectable by a user while riding the stationary bicycle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An upper body exercise apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a housing defining an interior area and a spring in the interior area. First and second cables have respective first ends operatively coupled to the spring and respective second ends extending away from the housing. Respective movements of the first and second cables away from the housing cause the spring to move toward a biased configuration. The exercise apparatus includes a transmission configured such that an outward movement of the first cable in the absence of an outward movement of the second cable causes all of the spring&#39;s resistance/bias to be transmitted to the first cable, an outward movement of the second cable in the absence of movement of the first cable causes all of the spring&#39;s resistance/bias to be transmitted to the second cable, and an outward movement by both first and second cables causes the spring&#39;s resistance to be distributed equally between the first and second cables. 
     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus configured for attachment to a stationary bicycle so that a user may exercise both upper and lower body members without mounting and/or dismounting the bicycle. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus that is selectively attached to a stationary bicycle, as aforesaid, that provides resistance type upper body exercise. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus that is selectively attached to a stationary bicycle, as aforesaid, in which the degree of weight resistance is determined by whether a user engages one hand versus both hands. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus that is selectively attached to a stationary bicycle, as aforesaid, in which a degree of resistance is determined by a selector switch. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus that is selectively attached to a stationary bicycle, as aforesaid, that is cost effective to manufacture. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an upper body exercise apparatus that is selectively attached to a stationary bicycle, as aforesaid, that is user-friendly to use. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an upper body exercise apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in use with a stationary bicycle; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus as in  FIG. 1  removed from the stationary bicycle; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus with the housing removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the exercise apparatus as in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the exercise apparatus as in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus from a reverse angle; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus as in  FIG. 2  from another angle. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An upper body exercise apparatus configured to be attached to a stationary bicycle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 7  of the accompanying drawings. The upper body exercise apparatus  10  includes a housing  20 , a resistance device  30 , first  50  and second  60  cables extending from the housing  20 , and a transmission  40  situated in the housing  20  and operatively coupled to the spring  30  and cables  50  and  60 . 
     The housing  20  includes a bottom  22 , a top  24 , and upstanding side walls  26  that together define an interior area. Although a generally box-shaped housing is shown in the accompanying drawings, it is understood that other configurations would also work. A resistance device, such as a spring  30 , may be positioned in the housing interior area. Preferably, the spring  30  includes a steel or other metal construction that is wound about a spool or axle  32  ( FIG. 4 ). The end of the axle  32  opposite the spring  30  is coupled to a spring sprocket  34 . It is by rotation of the spring sprocket  34  that the spring  30  is tightened/biased. It is understood that the spring  30  may be bounded by fixed frame structures  36  that do not rotate with the axle  32  and spring sprocket  34 . 
     The resistance device (spring)  30  is naturally in a generally unbiased state. In other words, the spring  30  is normally not attempting to unwind but, rather, is already in its most relaxed state. Stated another way, the resistance device  30  provides resistance when tightened/biased upon pulling the handles  72 ,  74  and cables  50 ,  60  as will be described in more detail later. The spring  30  then returns naturally to its unbiased relaxed condition when the cables are relaxed and returned to their unextended configurations. By contrast, operation of the transmission  40  causes the spring  30  to tighten or, in other words, to become biased. As the spring  30  winds or is tightened/biased, resistance is experienced as will be further explained below. 
     The transmission  40  generally refers to the structure situated in the housing  20  for regulating the amount of resistance applied by the spring  30  or other resistance device to each of the first  50  and second  60  cables. More particularly, the transmission includes a first gear train  42  and a second gear train  44  positioned in the housing  20  adjacent to one another and to the resistance device  30  ( FIG. 3 ). Each gear train  42 ,  44  includes a respective sprocket  52 ,  62  configured to coupled respective gear trains to the spring  30 . Preferably, each gear train  42 ,  44  is an epicyclic gear train having a plurality of gears (not shown) inside a respective casing. An epicyclic gear train is configured to provide multiple resistance options without the use of chains (by contrast to a traditional bicycle gearing system). Each epicyclic gear train also includes a ratchet that allows “free-wheeling.” In other words, a gear train may be disengaged from the respective sprocket when the associated cable is not engaged, as will be further described below. 
     The first  50  and second  60  cables each include a first end connected to the first  42  and second  44  gear trains, respectively. Each cable  50 ,  60  further includes an opposed second end  56 ,  66  that extends upwardly through the top  24  of the housing  20  and away from the housing  20 . The cables  50 ,  60  may extend through bushings  70 . Handles  72 ,  74 , such as D-ring handles, may be connected to second ends  56 ,  66  of respective cables to be grasped by a user in use. An upward pulling force upon a cable causes a rotational movement of a respective gear train and associated sprocket. As the sprockets are coupled together by a chain  68  or similar fastener, the cables are operatively coupled to the spring  30 . A movement of one or both of the gear train sprockets  52 ,  62  causes the spring sprocket  34  to rotate and the spring  30  to be tightened/biased. Depending on the gear setting, the spring&#39;s resistance is translated through the respective cable to the user pulling on the cable. 
     It is understood, however, that if only a single cable is pulled, the gear train associated with the cable not pulled will “free-wheel” by action of the ratchet and, in that case, the resistance of the spring  30  is not translated to the unpulled cable. More particularly, the gear train associated with an unpulled cable will not engage its associated sprocket and will not operatively engage with the spring. Thus, no resistance from the spring is translated to the unpulled cable; rather all of the spring&#39;s resistance is translated to the pulled cable. 
     The upper body exercise apparatus  10  may also include a gear shifting assembly, also referred to as an input  90 . The input  90  may be a dial or a lever having multiple gear selection settings, such as from 1 st  gear to 10th gear or low/med/high or the like. The input  90  may be mounted atop the housing  20  or adjacent thereto. The gear shifting assembly may include its own cabling  91  operatively connecting the input  90  with respective gear trains  42 ,  44 . With epicyclic gear trains, gears may be shifted while the gears are stationary. Preferably, the gear trains used for the present inventions may include 8 distinct settings, ranging from about 12 pounds of resistance down to about 3 pounds of resistance if a single cable is pulled. It is understood, however, that if both cables are pulled simultaneously, each cable will experience half as much resistance than if only a single cable is pulled. 
     Further, the upper body exercise apparatus  10  may include one or more means configured to attach the housing  20  to a stationary bicycle  6 . More particularly, one or more straps  80  may be operatively coupled to a side wall of the housing  20  ( FIG. 7 ). The straps  80  are configured to be secured around a front  7  or rear  8  frame support member of a stationary bicycle ( FIG. 1 ). The straps  80  may be elastic so as to hold the housing  20  without adjustment or may include tightness settings similar to a belt. In addition, the mounting means may include a rigid mounting member  82  defining a plurality of holes through which fasteners may be inserted into the framework of the stationary bicycle  6  ( FIG. 7 ). It may be advantageous to use the straps  80  to temporarily secure the housing  20  to the bicycle until the mounting member  82  may be secured in a more permanent configuration. 
     The upper body exercise apparatus  10  may also include a cable guide assembly  92  that may be mounted to or positioned on a stationary bicycle  6  and configured to prevent the cables  50 ,  60  from rubbing against the handlebars during use ( FIG. 1 ). More particularly, the cable guide assembly  92  may include rollers or shielding members having rounded edges to guide cables  50  and  60  as handles  72  and  74  are pulled from the housing  20  in use of the apparatus  10 . 
     In use, the upper body exercise apparatus  10  may be mounted to a stationary bicycle  6  by first attaching its straps  80  to a bicycle support member  7 ,  8 . Then, once positioned as desired, the housing  20  may be more securely affixed by inserting fasteners through the mounting member  82  and into the bicycle support member. The upper body exercise apparatus  10  is immediately ready for use. While riding the stationary bicycle in a traditional manner or when taking a break from pedaling, a user may grasp one or more handles  72 ,  74  and pull upward, rearward, or in motions that exercise various muscle groups of the upper body. The degree of resistance provided when pulling against the cables  50 ,  60  is dependent on the gear setting of the input  90  (a.k.a. gear shift assembly). As a cable is pulled, an attached gear train is actuated to rotate, causing an associated sprocket to rotate. Rotation of a gear train sprocket causes the spring  30  to tighten/bias and that resistance is translated to the respective cable. As described above, a gear train is disengaged from its sprocket if its associated cable is not pulled while the other cable is engaged. 
     As described in more detail above, the resistance provided by the spring  30  when one or both cables  50 ,  60  are actuated is dependent on the gear settings of each gear train  42 ,  44 . Even more particularly, the resistance provided to each cable  50 ,  60  depends on whether only one cable is actuated or whether both are actuated together. For example, if the gear input  90  is set on the maximum resistance setting and only a single cable is pulled (i.e. single arm exercise), then all of the resistance of the biased spring  30 , e.g. 12 lbs. of resistance, is distributed to the actuated cable. By contrast, if both cables  50 ,  60  are actuated simultaneously, then the 12 lbs. of resistance is distributed evenly to the two cables, e.g. 6 lbs. of resistance to each cable. The shift assembly input  90  may be adjusted by the user to increase or decrease the resistance. 
     It is understood that while a spring resistance member is shown and described herein, other resistance devices may also work, as was described in detail with reference to the embodiment shown the provisional application incorporated herein by reference, such as elastic bands, rubber bands, exercise tubes, or metal discs. More particularly, the resistance device may include one or more exercise tubes mounted to a housing or tray that is selectively coupled to a frame member of the stationary bicycle. It is understood that a plurality of exercise tubes would be needed to provide different degrees or “gears” of resistance. Springs such as leaf, coil, or spiral springs made of plastic, metal, or rubber may be used. The resistance device may also include hydraulics, pneumatics, weights and pulleys, or other leverage devices, magnets, electromagnets, or an electric motor. 
     It is also contemplated that the tension device may be attached to several locations of a stationary bike such as the handle bar post, seat post, external locations such as door frames or the like. If pulleys are used, they may be coupled to the handle bars, handle bar posts, seat posts, or external locations. It is understood that the exercise apparatus described herein or its alternative as described above may be mounted externally, i.e. not mounted to a stationary bicycle and used for upper body exercises. 
     Accordingly, the upper body exercise apparatus  10  provides a solution to the problem of having to repeatedly mount and/or dismount a stationary bicycle in order to get an upper body resistance workout. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.