Abstract:
A modular aquatic exercise equipment assembly for use by a person in water comprises a gripping bar with water resistance members removeably fixed on opposite ends thereof. Each water resistance member comprises a pair of interlocking components having a shaft portion and a planar fin water resistance portion, the two portions having slots for engaging each other so that the components lie substantially flat and when assembled, the two components are interlocked and present a plurality of planar fin water resistance surfaces which extend radially outwardly from the shaft portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an exercise assembly, and more particularly, to a modular exercise assembly intended for use in water. 
     The past few years have seen an increase in the awareness of individuals of their physical well-being and stamina. The benefits of exercise have been highly publicized and the exercise market has increased tremendously as a result of this publicity and awareness. Exercise may take a variety of forms, and includes cardiovascular exercise such as jogging, running or cycling, or it may include traditional weight or resistance training such as weightlifting. Whereas cardiovascular exercise typically improves endurance, weight or resistance training builds up or strengthens particular aspects of an individual&#39;s body. The present invention is primarily directed to this latter category of exercise. 
     Weight training usually requires a barbell shaft and a plurality of different weighted elements which are held on the ends of the barbell shaft by retaining collars or the like. The user lifts, or otherwise moves, the barbell between at least two preselected positions for a predetermined number of repetitions. A user may perform a large number of repetitions at a moderate weight to tone specific body areas, or the user may perform a number of repetitions with maximum weight until failure in order to build up strength in his particular muscles. 
     Resistance training is similar to weight training in that it requires a user to perform repetitions. However, instead of using static weights, the user typically pushes or pulls against a resistance force of an exercise machine which may be supplied by rubber or elastic bands. Although weight and resistance training are generally effective methods of physical conditioning, they are not without certain disadvantages. For example, weight training necessitates that a user keep a large number of weights on hand. The weights are bulky and heavy in nature and are not easily stored or transported. Additionally, most weight training exercises require the presence of a spotter, who is another individual who is available to assist the user in case of trouble. Also, both resistance and weight training tend to impart, dependent on the particular exercise, undue stress on the user&#39;s joints. Resistance training not only requires a machine, but also necessitates replacement of the resistance bands as they wear down over time. 
     Hydrodynamic exercises, where the user is partially immersed in water and uses the water as a weight or resistance medium, has been recognized as providing comparable benefits to weight or resistance training while eliminating the detrimental stress on the joints of the user. Hydrodynamic exercise includes either the user lifting or pushing one of his limbs, such as an arm or leg against the water in a repetitive movement or the user manipulating an exercise device in the water in a repetitive manner. These hydrodynamic exercise devices are well known in the art and include, for example, barbells having one or more foam rubber elements which the user pushes or pulls against the resistance of the water as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,993, issued Feb. 9, 1993. Hydrodynamic exercise devices may also include a barbell or dumbbell having plurality of planar fin-or blade-like members which the user pushes and/or pulls against the water, such as those disclosed in either U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,142, issued Nov. 18, 1986 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,915, issued Apr. 11, 1989. 
     These types of hydrodynamic exercise equipment are easy to use and relatively simple in design and construction. However, the blades or fins which provide the water resistance surface(s) for the exercise device typically extend radially outwardly from a shaft at different angles. These extensions render the exercise equipment bulky and cumbersome for transport and storage. Heretofore, no one has provided aquatic exercise equipment which is modular in nature which may be easily disassembled for component storage and transport, and which may be assembled in a minimum amount of time. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular aquatic exercise equipment assembly in which the exercise equipment assembly may be easily disassembled and which requires a minimum of space for storage and transport. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hydrodynamic exercise equipment component having a user-engageable shaft and two water-resistance members removeably attached thereto at opposite ends of the shaft, each of the water-resistance members including planar fins which radially extend outwardly therefrom in different radial directions, and each of the water-resistance members including a hand grip portion interposed between the fins. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a set of components for a modular assembly of aquatic exercise equipment which may be quickly assembled together to form an aquatic exercise device and which may be quickly disassembled into its constituent components for storage or transport space, the disassembled components occupying a minimum of space, the set of components including two aquatic dumbbell members threadedly engaging a barbell shaft, each of the aquatic dumbbell members having a hand grip portion thereon provided near the intersection of two engageable half portions, each half portion having a planar surface constituting a fin extending radially outwardly therefrom, the two half portions being mutually engageable with each other such that, when engaged together, the half portions define a dumbbell having a plurality of fins extending radially outwardly from the hand grip portion, the fins being displayed at different angles to each other. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide hydrodynamic exercise equipment in which two water engagement members are removeably attached to opposite ends of the assembly and in which the water engagement members include two interlocking members which engage each other along an axis of the assembly, each of the interlocking members including a planar fin portion and an elongated shaft portion disposed centrally therein, the shaft engagement portions engaging each other such that the planar fin portions extend radially outwardly therefrom along different radial directions to define a plurality of water-resistance surfaces of the assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with these and other objects, the present invention provides a new and improved aquatic exercise equipment assembly of modular construction which when assembled, forms an aquatic barbell and which may be disassembled into a pair of aquatic dumbbells and a gripping shaft, the entire assembly occupying a minimum of space when disassembled for storage and transport. 
     More particularly, and in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the exercise assembly comprises an elongated gripping bar having two water engagement portions removeably engaged thereto at opposite ends thereof by way of threaded connections. Each of the water engagement members constitute an aquatic dumbbell standing alone and when separated from the gripping bar, each dumbbell including an elongated central shaft portion with a hand grip portion defined thereon. The elongated shaft portion includes a plurality of planar fins extending radially outwardly from the shaft portion at different angular orientations such that planes defined by the fin portions intersect each other within the shaft. The planar fins further include interior open portions which are aligned together and which cooperate to define a clearance around the shaft hand grip portion so as to permit a user to reliably grip the hand grip portion of the dumbbell. 
     In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aquatic dumbbells are further assembled from two interengaging subcomponents which, when disassembled, have a minimum thickness such that the subcomponents may be positioned flat for transport or storage. Each of these interengaging subcomponents include a longitudinal slot extending through the planar fin portion and into the shaft portion at the hand grip area to provide a means for the two portions to engage each other to form the aforementioned aquatic dumbbell. The slots further provide the means for the two subcomponents to operatively engage each other in a manner such that the water engagement surfaces of the planar fin portions are angularly disposed with respect to each other. 
     Furthermore, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gripping bar may include an elongated elastic resistance element attached to the bar which defines an elastic loop for a user to apply additional resistance to the exercise equipment assembly. These and other objects, features advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the course of this description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a view of a modular aquatic exercise equipment assembly, partially exploded, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of one of the water resistance members of the aquatic exercise equipment assembly of FIG. 1 which forms an aquatic dumbbell when separated from the gripping bar; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the two interengaging components which cooperate to define the water resistance member of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the other of the two interengaging components which define the water resistance member of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the water end portion of FIG. 2, illustrating how the two components interengage each other; 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the gripping bar of the aquatic exercise equipment assembly of FIG. 1 with a resistance band in place; and, 
     FIG. 7 is a view of an individual utilizing the modular aquatic exercise equipment assembly of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIG. 1, a modular aquatic exercise assembly 10 is illustrated as an aquatic barbell 12 having an elongated gripping bar 14 with two opposing water-resistance members 16 disposed at opposite ends of the shaft 14 which define a pair of aquatic dumbbells 18 when separated from the gripping bar 14. The barbell 12 may be used comfortably in water for weight/resistance training purposes by users without undue stress being applied to any of the joints of the user. 
     In an important aspect of the present invention, the exercise assembly 10 is of a modular, or &#34;knock-down&#34; nature which permits it to be easily assembled in a minimum amount of time and also importantly, to be disassembled quickly into its constituent parts which occupy a minimum amount of space for transport and/or storage. In this regard, the gripping bar 14 may be of a hollow, tubular construction and utilize end caps 20 disposed at opposite ends of the bar 14 to seal the bar 14 and to provide the shaft with a measure of flotation. The outer portions 22, 24 of the opposite ends of the bar 14 may be provided with a series of threads 26 formed in the exterior surface 28 of the bar for providing a means to engage the water-resistance members 16. 
     A typical water-resistance member 16 used with the gripping bar 14 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and can be seen to possess a central elongated shaft portion 30, an engagement collar 32 disposed at one end of the member 16 and an end cap 34 disposed at the opposite end of the shaft 30. The member 16 also includes a plurality of planar fins or blades, indicated generally at 36 and specifically at 36A-D. The interior surface of the engagement collar 32 may include a plurality of threads 38 which are adapted to engage the gripping shaft exterior threads 26. Preferably, for ease of assembly, and to prevent either of the two water-resistance members 16 from working off of the bar 14, the shaft exterior threads 26 at the opposing ends are reversed such that the water-resistance member 16 are threaded onto the gripping bar 14 with opposite rotations, i.e., if the left water-resistance member threads onto the gripping shaft in a clockwise manner, the right water-resistance member will thread onto the gripping shaft counterclockwise. (FIG. 1.) 
     The gripping bar 14 may include two interconnecting portions 14A, 14B joined together at the center of the bar as illustrated using a suitable interconnecting means, such as a threaded connection 15. 
     Returning to FIG. 2, it can be seen that each planar fin 36 extends radially outwardly from the shaft 30 of the water-resistance member 16. The planar fins 36 preferably have a length and radial extent which defines a sufficiently large planar surface area which functions as a hydrodynamic resistant surface against which water impinges when the member 16 is submerged in water. Desirable results have been obtained with lengths of about 12 inches and radial extents of about 5 inches leading to a hydrodynamic resistant surface area of about 38 square inches. 
     The planar fins 36 further may include a central opening 39 which surrounds a central portion 40 of the shaft 30 and also serves as a hand grip portion 42 for the dumbbell 18. These openings 39 permit a user to utilize the water-resistance member 16 as an individual aquatic dumbbell 18. In this regard, the openings 39 are sufficiently large to enable the user to easily slip his entire hand through the opening to reliably grip the dumbbell. 
     In another important aspect of the present invention, each water engagement member 16 is formed from two interengaging handle-fin components 50, 52, shown respectively in FIGS. 3 and 4. One of the components 50, illustrated in FIG. 3, includes a half-shaft portion 54 which extends from the engagement collar 32 for approximately one-half the length of the dumbbell 18. The half shaft portion 54 terminates in an open end 55 having a transverse face 56 which is disposed in about the center of the hand-accommodating openings 39 of the barbell 18. The planar fins 36A, 36C extend radially outwardly from the half-shaft portion 54 at opposing sides thereof and reenter the half-shaft 54 at its open end 55 through the half-shaft engagement slot 58. 
     The two planar fins 36A, 36C of the handle fin component 50 may be formed as a single member 57 of a predetermined thickness as illustrated in FIG. 3 and inserted into the half-shaft portion 54 by inserting the member 57 into a longitudinal slot 58 disposed in the half-shaft portion 54. The member 57 may then be affixed to the half-shaft portion 54 in a suitable manner such as by adhesive, solvent welding, plastic welding or the like. Alternatively, it is contemplated that the entire handle-fin component 50 may also be formed as a single piece by a conventional injection molding process. Another slot 60 is preferably disposed between the planar fins 36A, 36C in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the water engagement member 16 and the half-shaft portion 54 to accommodate the other component 52, as will be explained below. This slot 60 defines free ends 61 of the two planar fins 36A, 36C. 
     The other component 52 (FIG. 4) of the water engagement member 16 also includes a half-shaft portion 62 which terminates in an end cap 63. This half-shaft portion 62 has a fin member 64 which contains two planar fins 36B, 36D, which extend radially outwardly therefrom in the same manner as described above for handle-fin component 50. The fin member 64 is received in the half-shaft portion 62 at an open end 66 thereof which is defined by a transverse face 67. The free ends 68 of the planar fins 36B, 36D are separated by an engagement slot 70 which extends along the longitudinal axis of the fins 36B, 36D and half-shaft portion 62. This slot 70 terminates at about the open end 66 of the half-shaft portion 62 and is preferably aligned with a similar engagement slot 72 in the body of the half-shaft portion 62. In the preferred embodiment, the lengths of the engagement slots 58, 60 and 70, 72 of the two handle-fin components 50, 52 are approximately equal. 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, the manner in which the two handle-fin components 50, 52 engage each other to form the water-resistance member 16 barbell is illustrated. The planar fins 36A, 36C of the first handle-fin component 50 are oriented angularly with respect to the planar fins 36B, 36D of the second handle-fin component 52, (preferably at right angles to each other) and the planar fin slots 60 and 70 of the two components are also aligned. Once aligned, the two handle-fin components 50, 52 are slid toward each other as illustrated so that the free ends 61, 68 of the planar fin enter their respective opposing half-shaft portion engagement slots 58, 72 until their opposing end faces 56, 67 abut each other as shown. In order to provide a reliable joint between the two handle-fin components 50, 52, the engagement slots 58, 72 of the two respective half-shaft portions 54, 62 may have a thickness slightly less than the thickness of the planar fins 36 to provide a reliable frictional engagement therebetween. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, one of the two half-shaft end faces 66 may be provided with an engagement means, which engages a portion of the opposing half-shaft end 55, such as the knob 76 and notch 78 illustrated. 
     When the two handle-fin components 50, 52 are slid apart to break down the dumbbell 18, the maximum thickness of each handle-fin component 50, 52 will be generally equal to the diameter of either the half-shaft portions 54, 62 or the engagement collar 32. Thus, it can be readily appreciated that the present invention, when disassembled into its constituent parts, requires a minimum of space for storage and transport. A user may thus pack the dumbbells in a suitcase for easy transport so that he has the exercise equipment available to him for business or pleasure trips. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the gripping bar 14 may include an elongated elastic resistance member 100 such as the elastic tubing 102 illustrated in FIG. 6 to provide the present invention with an additional means of resistance when submerged. The elastic band 102 preferably engages the gripping bar 14 by extending through a series of holes 104 formed therein proximate to the threaded end portions 26 of the bar. Multiple engagement holes 104 are preferably provided to form a series of elastic band loops 106 to ensure a reliable connection and decrease the likelihood of the resistance band 102 working itself free during exercise. 
     In use, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a user may grip the bar 14 and submerge it in the water and then engage the resistance member 100 with his feet. The user then lifts the bar up to the elevation shown in phantom and repeats the movement. The water impinges against the planar fins 36 of the water-resistance members 16 to provide a hydrodynamic resistance force. An additional resistance force is also supplied by the elastic band 102. 
     It will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present invention which have been discussed are merely illustrative of some of the applications of this invention and that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention.