Abstract:
A martial arts training device comprising a stand having a base and at least one substantially vertically extending arm extending up from the base. There is also at least one guide coupled to the stand which is for guiding a user in performing exercises. In addition, to stabilize the stand there is a stabilizer for stabilizing against movement so that when a user accidentally contacts the guide, the stand remains substantially in place. The guide can be in the form of a rope, cord, or cable.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a martial arts training device that can be used to help people train a particular movement. Other references which may be related to this field are known, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,799 to Carbonero; U.S. Pat. No. 67,310 to Jadwin; U.S. Pat. No. 1,991,087 to Falcon; U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,231 to Fink; U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,775 to Miasserian; U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,179 to Singhal; and U.S. Pat. No. 444,420 to Chandler, wherein the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The invention relates to a martial arts training device comprising a stand comprising a base and at least one substantially vertically extending arm extending up from the base. There is also at least one guide coupled to the stand which is for guiding a user in performing exercises. In addition, to stabilize the stand, there is a stabilizer for stabilizing against movement so that when a user accidentally contacts the guide, the stand remains substantially in place.  
         [0004]     This stabilizer can be in the form of a strap coupling the substantially vertically extending arm to an adjacent fixed object. In addition, this stabilizer further includes at least one water tank disposed in the base, wherein the water tank is designed to receive water to increase a weight of the base to stabilize the stand.  
         [0005]     In addition, the vertically extending arm can comprise at least two arms which are coupled to each other in a telescoping manner, and at least one coupling element for allowing at least one of these two arms to move vertically in relation to the other and to be selectively locked in place at a desired height.  
         [0006]     In addition, as another optional feature, at least one of the at least two telescoping arms further comprises a set of indicia to help a user determine the height at which the arms extend.  
         [0007]     Another optional feature is least one hinge coupling the vertically extending arm to base. This hinge allows the vertically extending arm to rotate to at least a vertically upright position and to at least one folded down position.  
         [0008]     An alternative form of the stabilizer can be a shaft which extends up from the base, wherein the shaft is for receiving weights having a hollow center. Thus, when these weights are placed on the shaft, the weights stabilize the base in place.  
         [0009]     Another optional feature is a laterally extending arm coupled to the vertically extending arm. In this case, the guide extends along the laterally extending arm so that the guide is spaced apart from the substantially vertically extending arm.  
         [0010]     This laterally extending arm is coupled to a top end of the vertically extending arm and can further comprise a hinge. This hinge is for rotatably coupling the laterally extending arm to the vertically extending arm.  
         [0011]     In addition, an additional laterally extending arm can be coupled to the vertically extending arm wherein there is also at least one hinge with at least a first hinge for coupling at least one of the laterally extending arms to the vertically extending arm, and wherein the second hinge is for coupling at least one additional laterally extending arm to the substantially vertically extending arm.  
         [0012]     The guide, which can be in the form of a cord, cable or rope, is disposed in the base optionally on a spool wherein this spool is spring loaded to selectively retract the guide into the base when the guide is not in use. In addition, there can also be a brace coupled to the vertically extending arm, wherein this brace is also coupled to the optional strap. This brace is used to help the strap support the substantially vertically extending arm.  
         [0013]     This device can offer many advantages. For example, it be conveniently set in place and supported by other stationary objects, the guides can be adjusted in height or in lateral spacing from the vertical arm by rotating and then setting the lateral arms. In addition, the guides such as ropes or cords can also be recoiled back into the stand so that the guides can be stored away when not in use.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0015]     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  discloses a side perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of the first embodiment of the invention in use;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4A  shows another embodiment of the stand;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4B  shows an another embodiment of the stand;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of a user using the device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]     Turning now in detail to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention. In this view, this embodiment of the device  10  includes a stand  12 , which includes a base  14  and a vertically extending arm or shaft  14 . Shaft  14  can be essentially a telescoping shaft that comprises at least two poles  14 . 1  and  14 . 2 . In this case, shaft  14  also contains an adjuster  16  which is in the form of a twisting lock. Twisting lock  16  can be rotated to allow top pole  14 . 2  to slide up and out from bottom pole  14 . 1 . Top pole  14 . 2  extends up from lock  16  to an upper region  20  where a set of lateral extending arms  22  and  24  extend out therefrom. In this case, top pole  14 . 2  can slide down into bottom pole  14 . 1  up to a region where lateral arms  22  and  24  extend out therefrom.  
         [0023]     Lateral extending arms  22  and  24  are coupled to top pole  14 . 2  via a hinge coupling such that lateral extending arms  22  and  24  are rotatably mounted on top pole  14 . 2 . In this case, arm  22  is coupled to top pole via hinge  25  while arm  24  is coupled to top pole  14 . 2  via hinge  27 .  
         [0024]     A cap  28  is also disposed on top of top pole  14 . 2  wherein cap  28  is used to lock hinges  25  and  27  to top pole  14 . 2 .  
         [0025]     Thus, lateral arms  22  and  24  can swing out or in from different radial positions to create different levels of lateral extension from pole  14 . 2 .  
         [0026]     Disposed inside of base  12  and also extending up and out from shafts or poles  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  are a plurality of guides  30  and  32  which are in the form of at least one rope, cord, cable or line. These guides  30  and  32  are coiled up in base  12  and can be extended out from poles  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  and guided away from stand  12  via extending arms  22  and  24  respectively. In this case, guide  30  extends out from arm  22  and guide  32  extends out from arm  24 .  
         [0027]     Essentially, only one guide is needed but two or more guides  30  and  32  can be used so that there can be either one spool or two spools  40  and  42  disposed in base  12 . Spools  40  and  42  can be spring loaded so that the guides will retract into the base for easier transport.  
         [0028]     The spring loading of the guides is also important to provide a sufficient amount of rigidity in the line so that the unspooled line does not sag or remain limp but is instead taut and forms a generally straight line across a ring while still allowing a sufficient amount of flexibility if a user bumps into the line. This guide can also be selectively locked in place in relation to stand  12  such that the guide cannot extend any further out from stand R.  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a second embodiment of the invention wherein this device  11  shows a stand  12  with a vertical pole  14  including telescoping poles  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  which telescope in coupling  16  and extend up to endcap  28 . There is also shown a strap  35  which includes a brace  35 . 1  and a strap element  35 . 2  which is coupled to brace  35 . 1 . A single guide  30  extends up to endcap  28  and out of pole  14  from a spindle or spool  40  disposed in base  12 . One of the differences between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  is that this embodiment does not disclose rotatable arms  22  and  24  or a second guide  32 . In this respect, this embodiment is a simplified version as compared to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . In this view there is also shown a plurality of brackets  88  and  89  which are coupled to the base. In this case brackets  88  and  89  are for receiving an optional strap  90  such as a strap that can be slid in through brackets  88  and  89  and then fastened using a hook and loop fastener or any other type fastener for securing this strap. Strap  90  can then be used to allow a user to carry this device to other locations.  
         [0030]     In this view there are also shown markings  91  which can be used to designate a height at which top pole  14 . 2  extends out from bottom pole  14 . 1 . In this way top pole can be set at a height that allows a user to set the device in a manner that is most effective for training.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  disposed inside of a ring such as a boxing ring  50 . In this case, the device  10  includes a plurality of straps  35 . 2 , which extend out and wrap around a turnbuckle. These straps are used to stabilize a top end of the device so that it can be used to keep the line or guide  30  or  32  taut or level as it extends across the ring.  
         [0032]     In this case, the device can be used so that only one guide  30  or  32  from each one of the devices  10  is extended from one arm across the ring. This guide or rope is then attached to an opposite laterally extending arm disposed in an opposite corner of the ring. The ropes or guides can be tied off on the opposite spaced poles so that when these poles are tied off, the device has two lines disposed on either side for balancing the stand.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show two different embodiments of a stand that can be used to support these ropes. For example,  FIG. 4A  discloses a stand that has at least one but preferably a plurality of tanks  60  and  62  which can be used to hold a fluid such as water to stabilize stand  12 . When tanks  60  and  62  are filled, it provides additional weight to stabilize stand  12  in place so that it would be less likely to tip over. In addition, this view also shows that stand  12  can have an optional hinge coupling pole  14 . 1  to stand  12  so that pole  14  can be folded down and the device can then be placed in storage.  
         [0034]      FIG. 4B  shows a second embodiment of stand  12  wherein in this embodiment there is a shaft  66  which extends out from stand  12 . Shaft  66  is used to receive weights which have a center hole and can then fit over shaft  66 . In this case, the weights are placed on stand  12  to add additional weight to the stand to stabilize stand  12 . This view also shows that stand  12  has hinge  64  in place as well.  
         [0035]      FIG. 5  shows the device in use wherein a boxer is shown ducking under guides  30 ,  32  to practice the necessary movements for training in martial arts.  
         [0036]     In any one of the above described or shown embodiments, pulleys or other rope or cord conveying means may be used or incorporated therein to the device. The use of pulleys are well known in the art. For example, pulleys can be disposed in a region at a base or bottom end of coupling pole  14 . 1  or at an opposite end adjacent to top end  28 . Pulleys may be used or disposed at lateral outside ends of lateral arms  22  and  24 .  
         [0037]     Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.