Abstract:
The portable flexible exercise device is a quadrilateral with handles at the corners. Compression members extend between the adjacent handles and are pivoted thereto. A tension member is engaged so that one pair of opposite handles is resiliently urged apart while the other pair is resiliently urged together so that the exercise device can be utilized in different forms of exercise.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to an exercise device which is light, conveniently small and foldable. The exercise device is capable of compression and tension type exercises. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The human body is configured and muscled to do physical work. Prior to the twentieth century, virtually all physical work was accomplished by human physical activity, supplemented by animal effort guided by the human. Toward the end of the nineteenth century and particularly in the first half the twentieth century, modern machinery has replaced most of the hardest physical work which was previously done by human effort. For example, in the nineteenth century, a plow was pulled by a horse or mule, but a man walked behind controlling the animal through reins and controlling the plow through handlebars. Today&#39;s farmer plows from the seat of a tractor. Quite often he has power steering on the tractor so that even that effort is minimized. 
     The result has been that man does not get enough physical exercise to maintain the optimum condition of the body. The first point of exercise is to work particular muscles so that they are strengthened. The secondary result is that this muscular activity demands increased heart rate to bring nutrients to the muscle and take away the waste products. The lung activity is also increased to remove the carbon dioxide from the blood and oxygenate the blood. This increased respiratory and circulatory activity is also good for the entire body by increasing the circulation. The result of this combination is improved physical condition. 
     In order to maintain this good physical condition, it would be useful to have a portable exercise device which can be carried with the user so that it is conveniently available when he has the time and desire to do physical exercises. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a portable foldable exercise device. The exercise device is in the form of a quadrilateral having handles at all four corners. Compression members connect the adjacent corners, all the way around. The compression members are pivoted at the corners. There is a handle at each of the corners. A resilient tension member is engaged between two sets of compression members, away from the handles so that one pair of opposite handles can be moved toward each other against resilient stress and the other pair of opposite handles can be moved apart from each other against resilient stress. 
     It is thus a purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a portable foldable exercise device which is compact so it can be easily carried along, but provides both tension and compression exercise opportunities. 
     It is another purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a portable foldable exercise device which can be folded into a convenient small package. 
     It is a further purpose and advantage of this invention to provide a portable foldable exercise device which can be used by anyone for a plurality of exercises which require handles to be pulled apart against stress and/or require handles to be pushed together against stress. 
     The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the portable foldable exercise device of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of one of the handles of the portable foldable exercise device, with parts broken away and parts taken in section. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the handle opposite to the handle of  FIG. 2 , with parts broken away. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the handles adjacent the handle of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged side elevational view showing the attachment of the resilient member to a compression member. 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  showing the connection of the opposite end of the compression member. 
         FIG. 7  is a view showing the attachment of the end of the tension member to the compression members. 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view of the portable foldable exercise device with one handle removed and shown in the folded position. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the manner in which the exercise device is used for exercises which require forces toward each other. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic plan view showing how the exercise device is used for exercises which require forces away from each other. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The portable foldable exercise device of this invention is generally indicated at  10  in  FIGS. 1 ,  9  and  10 . The device  10  is a quadrilateral having four handles, one at each corner. Handles  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  are seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  9  and  10 . Two compression members are connected between each handle and its adjacent two handles. The compression members are preferably metallic or molded plastic rods which are stiff enough to withstand the compression load and/or torque load exerted between the handles. Compression members  20  and  22  are connected between handles  12  and  14 . Compression members  24  and  26  are connected between handles  14  and  16 . Compression members  28  and  30  are connected between handles  16  and  18 . Compression members  32  and  34  are connected between handles  18  and  12 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the compression members  20 ,  22 ,  32  and  34  wrapped around the central rod  36  of handle  12 . The central rod carries hand grip  38  against which washer  40  bears. The loop on compression member  32  is engaged around rod  36 . Washer  42  spaces the loop on the end of compression member  20  from compression member  32 . Collar  44  engages around the central rod  36  and acts as a long washer to space the loop  46  on the end of compression member  34  from the loop on compression member  20 . Washer  48  spaces the loop  46  from the loop  50  on the end of compression member  22 . Nut  52  threadedly engages the end of central rod  36  so that the entire structure can be disassembled. Each of the compression members has a circular loop formed on its end. The interior of the loop is sized so that it freely rotates on control rod  36 , but minimum end freedom is permitted. When the other ends of the compression members are properly constrained, the handle  12  stands up, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Handle  16 , as seen in  FIG. 3 , is of the same construction. In addition, the handle  16  has two tension members  54  and  56  on the outside of and in contact with its collar  58 . The handles  12  and  16  are at opposite corners of the quadrilateral as seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     Handles  14  and  18  are each between handles  12  and  16 , also at opposite corners of the quadrilateral. Handle  18  is seen in detail in  FIG. 4 . Handle  14  is identical. As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , compression members  28 ,  30 ,  32  and  34  respectively have loops  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66  formed on the ends thereof. The interior of the loops is sized to freely fit on the central rod  68  of the handle  18 . The lower end of the handle has a hand grip thereon which acts as a stop for the loops and washers thereon. The stop on the other end is formed by nut  70  which is threadedly attached to the top end of the control rod above the loops and washers. 
     This construction defines an exercise device in which the handles  14  and  18  move toward each other when the handles  12  and  16  move away from each other, and vice versa. 
     The exercise device  10  is configured, as seen in  FIG. 1 , with the handles  12  and  16  pointed up when the handles  14  and  18  are pointed down. This aids in its utilization in certain of the exercises, such as where adjacent handles are both employed for different conditions of body engagement. 
     In order to provide exercise resistance and resiliency to this motion, tension members  54  and  56  are provided. The tension members may be rubber-like synthetic polymer material cord, commonly known as bungee cord. They are provided with a hook at each end. Hook  72  is shown on tension member  56  in  FIGS. 5 and 7 . Crossbars  74  and  76  are shown in  FIG. 1  and crossbar  74  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The crossbars are of the same construction. As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the crossbar  74  is attached across the compression members  32  and  34  to provide a place upon which the end of the tension member can be hooked. The crossbar  76  is similar, and is attached across compression members  20  and  22  close to handle  14 . The crossbar  74  is attached to its compression members  32  and  34  close to the handle  18 . 
     In order to provide a selection of resistance force provided by the bungee cords  54  and  56 , two crossbars are provided at each end. Crossbars  74  and  75  are shown in  FIG. 5  and crossbars  76  and  77  are shown in  FIG. 6 . Crossbar  75  is positioned at about half the distance from crossbar  74  as crossbar  77  is positioned from crossbar  76 . This provides for four selections of bungee tension. On the outside crossbars  74  and  76 , maximum bungee cord tension is provided. Between crossbars  75  and  77 , minimum bungee cord tension is provided. When the bungee cords are connected between crossbars  74  and  77  or between crossbars  75  and  76 , intermediate levels of bungee cord tension are provided. The bungee cord tension members extend around the outside of handle  16 . When the handles  12  and  16  are grasped and moved apart, the tension members stretch. When the handles  14  and  18  are moved toward each other, the tension members stretch. 
     There are various exercise usages. For example, in one use, the handles  14  and  18  are grasped with the hands in front of the body and the handles  14  and  18  are moved toward each other to provide a first chest exercise. In a second chest exercise, the handles  14  and  18  are grasped, one in each hand, with the arms overlapped, and the arms are pulled outward to pull the hands together. In a first shoulder exercise, the handle  16  is held against the side of the torso at the waist with the handle facing forward. This is held in place by the arm reaching in front of the torso. The other hand grasps the handle  12  and pulls it outward and upward so that the compression members  24  and  26  continue to lie against the side of the torso from waist to armpit. 
     As an example of a leg muscle exercise, the exercise device  10  lies across the top of the user&#39;s thighs as he sits down, with handles  12  and  16  engaging downwardly over the thighs behind the user&#39;s knees. Muscular separation of the knees spreads these handles to exercise the outer thigh. The inner thigh is exercised by the user while he is in a seated position with the handles  14  and  18  engaging the user&#39;s thigh just above his knees. Bringing the thighs together stretches the tension member to provide the necessary exercise resistance. 
     For utilization of the exercise device  10  as a triceps exercise, one of the handles  12  or  16  which are tensioned together is held, for example, by the right hand at the right shoulder. The left hand grasps the opposite handle and pulls away to the left from the right shoulder, exercising the left triceps muscles. The opposite triceps muscles can be exercised by holding one of those handles with the left arm in front of the left shoulder, to exercise the right triceps muscles. 
     For biceps exercise, the handle  16  is engaged underneath and behind the knee of the sedentary exerciser. The hand on the same side engages the handle  12 . Raising the arm and bending the elbow causes extension of the tension members to provide the necessary exercise resistance. These are examples of the many ways in which the exercise device  10  can be utilized to provide the necessary resistance for effective exercise. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  show the geometry of the exercise device  10  as it is moved from one position to another.  FIG. 9  shows that forces toward each other at handles  14  and  18  cause the handles to move toward each other against the resistance provided by the tension members.  FIG. 10  shows that outward force against the handles  12  and  16  permit those handles to move away from each other against the force provided by the tension member. 
     The portability of the exercise device  10  is very important. It is small as compared to most exercise devices and it is eminently useful for various exercises when the distance between the handles  14  and  18 , at maximum distance, is only about three feet. Even three feet is large when the user is planning on packing the exercise device for a trip. To reduce its size during packing, the handle  12 , see  FIG. 2 , can be disassembled. The nut  52  is removed from the control rod  36  and the loops from the compression members, washer and collar  44  are removed. As seen in  FIG. 8 , this permits the exercise device to be folded in a “W” shape, with the handle  16  adjacent the loops on the handle  12  and the compression members  20 ,  22 ,  32  and  34 . In this configuration, the folded exercise device is capable of being packed into a suitcase. The exercise device can be reassembled at a destination for further exercise utilization. 
     This invention has been described in its presently contemplated best modes and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.