Abstract:
The method of human body suspension, that includes providing an upright door, and a support body clamped to the door; straddling the door by extending human legs generally transversely at opposite sides of the door; providing grips operatively connected to the support body to project outwardly at opposite sides of the door, and manually grasping the grips to exert force acting to suspend the human torso and legs which remain straddling the door and extending transversely during suspending of the torso and legs.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to exercise apparatus and methods, and more particularly to apparatus enabling human body lifting or suspension, as well as methods of use of such apparatus. 
   There is need for an improved, simple, effective and easily used device enabling arm lifting of the body, in various modes, while the user&#39;s legs remain in a straddling position. 
   Also needed is an improved lightweight device as referred to constructed to facilitate transport, in a collapsed state, and quick set up at a destination, and to further facilitate ease of installation, for use, as described. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus, and methods of use thereof, meeting the above needs. Basically, the invention in its apparatus aspects includes: 
   a) a support body associated with a clamp and configured for clamping to an upright door, 
   b) grips operatively connected to the body to project outwardly at opposite sides of a plane defined by the door, to be manually grasped to receive lifting force exertion acting to suspend the human torso while the human legs remain straddling the door during said suspending of the torso and legs. 
   Another object includes provision of a method of human body suspension, which includes 
   a) providing an upright door, and a support body clamped to the door, 
   b) straddling the door by extending human legs generally transversely at opposite sides of the door, 
   c) providing grips operatively connected to the support body to project outwardly at opposite sides of the door, 
   d) and manually grasping the grips to exert force acting to suspend the human torso and legs which remain straddling the door and extending transversely during said suspending of the torso and legs. 
   That method may also include lowering the human torso and legs, and then repeating said elevating and lowering, to strengthen muscles of the human arms, torso and legs. 
   Another object is to provide a door clamp pivotally carried by the body, one of the grips operatively connected to the clamp to pivot the clamp thereby to progressively press connect to the door as said one grip is manually pulled downwardly relative to the body and door. 
   An added object is to provide clamp angled surfaces variably presented toward the door as the clamp is rotated by a grip. The clamp may typically have an axis of rotation, provided by a spring urged pivot, that is shifted first away from the door and then toward the door as the clamp is rotated downwardly to move one of said angles surfaces away from the door and to move the other of said surfaces toward the door to exert door clamping force. The angled surfaces typically include over center clamping surfaces associated with one of the grips, and configured to successively transmit clamping force to the door during said downward pivoting of the one grip, and wherein maximum clamping force is transmitted to the door in downward most pivoted position of said one grip. 
   An additional object is to provide a latch shiftable into and out of a position wherein the clamp is held in a down position in which said clamp other surface exerts door clamping force. 
   Another object is to provide door protective material on the clamp to slidably engage the door and press connect thereto. 
   Another object is to provide a crotch protector attached to the door, below the level of said support body. 
   Also, an elongated safety ribbon may be attached to the support body and extended over the top of the door. 
   A further object is to provide a method that includes elevating the torso while the legs remain transversely extended, as in L-shaped configuration. A timer on the body is usable to time the duration of leg and torso holding or suspension periods. 
   These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 

   
     DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation showing preferred apparatus incorporating the invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows the  FIG. 1  apparatus being clamped to a door; 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the  FIG. 1  apparatus; 
       FIG. 3   a  is a section showing details of a tightener as is also shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 4  is like  FIG. 2 , but also shows crotch protective means; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the apparatus applied to a door; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views showing use of the  FIGS. 1-5  apparatus; 
       FIG. 8  is a frontal view of the apparatus showing details of construction; 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of a clamp element in initial position; 
       FIG. 9   a  is like  FIG. 9 , but shows the clamp element in clamping position; 
       FIG. 10  is a side view taken on lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 ; and 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic view showing an intermediate position of the clamp element. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In  FIGS. 1-3 ,  8  and  9 , the human body suspension apparatus  10  is configured for application to a door  11 , and includes a support body  12  associated with a door clamp, typically carried by body  12 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , the lightweight body is generally U-shaped, i.e. channel shaped, in horizontal cross section, to adjustably straddle a door edge portion  11   a  above the level of a door handle  14  and bolt  15 . See body legs  12   a  and  12   b  extending at opposite sides of the door. A manually operable clamp device  13  is carried by the body, as for example by leg  12   a , to be tightened and clamped to the door side  11   b , and thereby tightens or pulls leg  12   b  against the opposite side  11   b  of the door. The tightening is sufficient to firmly clamp body  12  to the door, against loosening during suspension of user&#39;s body weight applied to body  12 . A safety cord or ribbon  60  attached to body  12  at  60   a  may be employed to loop over the door top and hang at  14 , as shown. It may be connected at  60   b  to the body. Vertically spaced annular grommets attached to the ribbon may selectively be fitted over a pin  60   c  on body  12  to adjust the height of the body on the door to suit hang positioning of the user. 
     FIG. 1  also shows hand grips or pins  22  and  23  projecting generally horizontally oppositely, as shown. Such pins or grips are to be grasped by the user as he or she suspends human body torso and leg weight, while human body legs straddle the door at its opposite sides. See for example  FIGS. 6 and 7 , showing the user&#39;s hands  30  grasping and hanging from the grip pins, and the user&#39;s legs  31  straddling the door as by their extension in generally L-shaped relation to the torso  32 . The end of pin  23  fits into a bore  117  formed in tightener  118 , as seen in  FIG. 3   a . The tightener is thread connected at  119  to body leg  12   b , so that when protruding knurled flange  120  on  118  is rotated, the right end of  118  advances toward the door side  11   b . A plate  120  is thereby advanced, without rotation, to the right to urge a non-metallic (leather, for example) pad or strip  121  against the left side  11   b  of the door. 
   Pins  22  and  23  are preferably removable from their connections  22   a  and  23   a , for easy of transport or shipment of the apparatus, as in a container  66  of an easily transported kit  67 , shown in  FIG. 8 , for set-up at any destination having a door. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 9 ,  9   a  and  11 , they show sequential positions of one grip  22 , and associated clamp  24  between an initial up-position ( FIG. 9 ) of clamp  24 , an intermediate position of the clamp  24  ( FIG. 11 ) as it is being rotated or pivoted downwardly and a full down position of the clamp ( FIG. 9   a ) and grip  22  wherein the door is clamped with very high level, maximum force. 
   The clamp  24  is shown to have two relatively angled flat surfaces  24   a  and  24   b , which intersect at nose  24   c . Surface  24   b  is flatly presented toward the door in  FIG. 9 , wherein surface  24   a  is then angled away from the door in  FIG. 9 ; surface  24   a  is flatly presented toward the door in high level force transmitting position in  FIG. 9   a , wherein surface  24   b  is then angled away from the door; and in  FIG. 11  the nose  24   c  is presented in force transmitting intermediate position toward the door, wherein both surfaces  24   a  and  24   b  are at that time angled away from the door. 
   It will be noted that the clamp has an axis of rotation, provided by pivot  25 , and indicated at  25   a . That axis is shifted directionally away from the door, (against force exerted by spring  97 —see below) as seen in  FIG. 11  as the clamp is rotated downwardly, with nose  24   c  sliding upwardly against surface  126  to an “over center” position at a level slightly above the level of axis  25   a ; i.e., as over-center clamp rotation continues, axis  25   a  returns part way back toward surface  126 , and angled surface  24   a  comes into engagement with surface  126 . A pre-loaded, heavy duty spring  97  exerts force against the pivot to resist its rightward displacement as described, and to exert force acting to urge the clamp surface  24   a  against surface  126  in  FIG. 9   a  stable position. 
     FIG. 10  shows the pin  22  in down, i.e.  FIG. 9   a  position, and a latch  98  swung clockwise downwardly (see arrow  98   a ) to block upward manual displacement of the pin. The axis of swinging of the latch is indicated at  99 . A stop  100  is sidewardly engaged by the latch to position it, as shown. When the latch is swung counterclockwise in release direction, the pin  22  and clamp  24  can then be swung upwardly about pivot axis  25   a  to  FIG. 9  position, releasing the clamp. It will be noted that during such release, the nose  24   c  need only travel a slight distance downwardly to unstable position below the level of axis  25   a , at which point, the compression of the spring  97  assists further upward swinging of pin  22 , and release of the clamp. 
   The invention provides for 3 stages of exercise, each stage having 2 modes of exercise; static and dynamic, to progressively strengthen muscles and increase endurance, using the apparatus as referred to, and wherein: 
   Stage 1 includes: user  34  sitting on a base support  70  or on a cushion on that support, with legs extended to straddle the door; feet being on the ground or supported close to the ground; and grasping the pins to elevate, slightly, the torso, and then holding (Static Mode) for up to 2 minutes, and then lowering the torso to seated position. If not attaining 2 minutes in the first attempt, rest for no more than 60 seconds before continuing, repeating the process until either reaching an accumulated time, at elevation, of 2 minutes, or 5 repetitions, whichever comes first. The Dynamic Mode is performed exactly the same except, instead of holding at the elevated position, as many pull-ups as possible are attempted during the accumulated 2 minute time. 
   Stage 2 includes: same as Stage 1, except instead of both feet on the ground, one foot is lifted and held parallel to the ground during half of the accumulated 2 minutes and then the position of the feet are alternated for the balance of the 2 minutes. 
   Stage 3 includes: same as Stage 2, except instead of one foot lifted and held parallel to the ground, both feet are lifted at the same time and held parallel to the ground for the accumulated 2 minutes or 5 repetitions, whichever comes first. Timer  52  is used to time the durations of such steps. Timer  52 , may be carried by the body for use by the human manually grasping said grips, and operating said timer to time the duration of said suspending of the torso. The timer is shown to include a display having a transparent window  53 . A timer START-STOP button is shown at  54 . A battery case is provided in  12 , at  58 . Example: the timer/accumulator display is typically a battery powered, 4 digit, 3 inch round micro-processor based module with a black activation button on its lower half, programmed specifically to aid during gym exercises. The timer counts to a tenth of a second, by pressing the black activation button. The timer will begin to count down from 10 seconds. Once reaching zero, the timer will begin to count up while at the same time the trainee will begin his/her first repetition. If the trainee cannot attain 2 minutes in the first repetition, immediately upon ending the first repetition, the trainee will press the black activation button which will freeze the accumulated time on the display. For the first 10 seconds, the display will alternate between the number of reps and the elapsed time that has been accumulated; after which, the timer will begin counting down from 50 seconds. Before the timer reaches zero, the trainee will have to press the black button, and continue on with the exercises, or the trainee&#39;s accumulated time will be lost, upon activation, time will pickup at the point from which it had been stopped. This routine can be repeated indefinitely; but, stopping at 5 reps, or once accumulating 120 seconds, whichever comes first, is suggested. 
   General notes: the timer will turn off: (1) once reaching 180 seconds, or (2) by pressing the black button during countdown, or (3) whenever the timer is counting up, and the black button is pressed and held for 3 seconds. 
   A crotch protector cushion  50  may be provided and applied to the door edge, and is seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . It may have U-shape in cross-section, and formed to sidewardly removably grip the door.