Patent Publication Number: US-9421683-B2

Title: Coil spring connector loop handle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/915,488, filed Oct. 29, 2010, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     This disclosure generally relates to resistance based exercise equipment and more particularly to a spring connector for connecting a coil spring to or between components in a spring biased resistance exercise machine such as in a Pilates chair or reformer exercise apparatus. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Today, many types of exercise devices are available and used for fitness and/or medical reasons to burn off undesired calories, to improve cardiovascular ability, to tone or strengthen muscles, or to improve flexibility, balance, posture, etc. No matter what the desired end goal of a user of exercise equipment may be, almost all types of exercise equipment aid the user to achieve his or her desired goal by exerting some form of adequate and effective resistance against repeated bodily movements of the user. 
     Many of these exercise devices utilize elastic resistance members such as coil springs. A hook or closed loop (eye) is often used to connect at least one of the two ends of the coil spring (or generally a force resisting mechanism) between a movable and a fixed location on the exercise equipment. 
     A reformer is one such exercise device. A reformer is basically a rectangular frame that sits on a floor and constitutes or carries a pair of stationary parallel rails or tracks. A movable carriage for supporting a user&#39;s body is mounted on the rails for movement toward and away from one end, the foot end, of the frame. The carriage is typically elastically biased toward the foot end of the frame by one or more coil springs having one end attached to the carriage and the other to a hook or post on an anchor bar near the foot end of the frame. 
     Each coil spring has a generally cylindrical spiral outer shape, with tapered coil turns at each end. One end of each coil spring has a bent rod connector in the form of a hook or eye. The other end of each coil spring typically also has a bent rod hook that must be inserted into the eye of an eyebolt fastened to an anchor point. Alternatively one end has a hook and the other end has a bent rod connector forming a closed loop or eye that a user grasps and fastens to a corresponding hook or post on the exercise equipment. 
     The connector having an eye must be grasped by a user and placed over a post, hook or pin to fasten that end connector in place on an anchor bar. Often a user will simply hook his or her finger through the eye and pull the eye onto the post or hook. Sometimes this manipulation may involve some stretching of the spring in order to fit the eye onto the post. In this situation, there is a potential for one of the user&#39;s fingers to be caught or pinched between the eye and post during the attaching process. Thus there is a need for a device that a user can grasp to accurately connect the eye of the connector securely to the hook or post without exposing the user&#39;s fingers to a potential pinching situation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure addresses this need. One embodiment of the present disclosure is a solid handle body that is adapted to be installed on the base of the connector loop between the spring and the loop during assembly of the spring and its end connectors. Another embodiment of the present disclosure is a polymer handle body that is adapted to be installed on the base of the connector loop between the spring and the loop in a previously assembled spring assembly. In both embodiments, a user simply grasps the handle to position the loop of the connector onto a stationary hook or post without putting his or her finger inside the loop. 
     A spring connector is typically carried in each end of a coil spring. The spring connector is an elongated connecting member having a head end and a foot end, a stopper body adapted to fit within the end of the coil spring and having an axial bore through which the foot end of the connecting member extends. A washer disc is positioned on the connecting member between the stopper body and a deformed section of the connecting member near the foot end. This deformed section retains the washer and the stopper body on the connecting member. The head end of the connector may be a closed loop or a hook. 
     In the case of a closed loop, first the head end is bent to form the closed loop and then a solid polymer handle body is slipped onto the foot end of the connecting member. The handle body is then pushed onto and preferably fastened over a base portion of the loop. The polymer stopper body and washer are then installed and the foot end is deformed to lock the washer and polymer stopper body thereon. The end coils of the coil spring are then telescoped over the connector deformed end, washer, and polymer stopper body. The end coils are then crimped or compressed to reduce their diameter. This results in an interference fit between the stopper body and the reduced diameter end coils of the coil spring that retains the connecting member within the end of the coil spring. The other end of the coil spring is assembled in a similar manner except, that if a hook is formed on the head end of the connector, no handle body is preferably installed. 
     The handle body is a solid body, preferably made of a polymer such as nylon, although any other suitable material may be used, such as a composite or metal, that has a generally truncated conical shape symmetrical about its central axis. Preferably the outer surface shape further is a concave truncated cone, with its larger diameter base portion configured to face the connector loop when installed on a spring connector. The body has a central axial bore therethrough for receiving the head end of the connector body. The handle body has a transverse slot formed in its large diameter end face that intersects the axial bore. This transverse slot preferably has a width and bottom shape complementary to an outer shape of a base portion of the loop formed at the head end of the connector. The handle further may have one or more projections from the large diameter base portion extending into its transverse slot to provide an interference lock engaging a portion of the loop to hold the handle in position on the loop. The handle body may further have a straight side portion formed on opposing sides of the body to facilitate a comfortable grip between a user&#39;s thumb and forefinger. 
     An alternative embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure has a similar outer shape, but is designed to be installed on a previously assembled spring assembly that already has a loop formed in at least one of the end connectors. In this alternative embodiment, the handle body again has a generally truncated, preferably concave curved, conical outer shape symmetrical about its central axis, and has an axial bore therethrough and a transverse slot formed in its large diameter end face. This transverse slot intersects the axial bore and has a curved bottom shape complementary to the shape of a base portion of the connector loop. In order to install the handle on the connector of a previously assembled spring assembly, the handle also has an axially extending radial slot through its outer surface extending into the central axial bore. This radial slot is oriented perpendicular to and intersects with the transverse slot in the large diameter base portion of the handle body. 
     This alternative embodiment is fastened to the loop in the head end of the connector by passing the handle body laterally onto the connector behind the loop and then turning the body 90 degrees to engage the base portion of the loop into the transverse slot. The handle body is then pushed onto the loop until the base portion is fully seated into the transverse slot. These and other features, advantages and objects of the disclosure will become more apparent from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a coil spring incorporating a coil spring connector loop handle in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective separate view of an alternate connector loop handle in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a spring loop connector showing the alternate connector loop handle of  FIG. 2  being installed onto a stem portion of the loop connector. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the spring loop connector of  FIG. 3  with the handle fully inserted into the central axial bore of the handle. 
         FIG. 5  shows the connector of  FIG. 4  with the handle rotated to align the loop with the transverse slot in the handle. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the connector of  FIG. 5  with the handle fully installed onto the connector loop. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A coil spring  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in  FIG. 1 . The spring  100  has an elongated helical coil spring body  102  terminating at tapered coil end portions  104  and  106 . Each end portion  104  and  106  has several coil turns each having a progressively reduced diameter so as to present a frusto-conical outer shape. A connector  110  and  111  in accordance with the present disclosure fits within and extends out of each end portion  104  and  106  respectively. 
     The connector  110  includes an elongated rod body  112 , a polymer stopper body  114  mounted on the rod body  112 , and a washer  116 , all sequentially disposed on the body  112 . The rod body  112  has a crimped flat region  120  adjacent a foot end  118  thereof to lock the stopper body  114  and the washer  116  on the rod body  112  within the tapered end portion  104  of the spring  100 . A similar connector  111  is carried at the opposite end portion  106  of the spring  100 . However, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the distal or head end of the elongated rod body  112  in end portion  106  is formed into an eye or loop  200  rather than a hook as in the end portion  104  of the spring  100 . The connector  111  in the end portion  106  is substantially identical to that shown in end portion  104  except for the eye shaped free end or loop  200  and a connector loop handle  202  on the rod body  112  which will be described in more detail below. 
     Each of the stopper bodies  114  has a generally tubular shape with tapered conical end portions  122  and  124 . The stopper body  114  is preferably made of The Polymer Company&#39;s Nylatron® GS, which is a nylon 6/6 which has a filler of molybdenum disulfide. Other materials may alternatively be used such as DuPont&#39;s Delrin®, or other suitable polymer material that is strong, tough, and rigid enough to withstand the spring forces applied. 
     The washer  116  is preferably a steel washer that abuts the rear tapered portion  124  of the stopper  114  to prevent the crimp  120  from deforming the central bore through the stopper  114  and permitting the stopper to slip off the rear end  118  of the rod  112 . Other means for retaining the stopper  114  on the rod  112  may alternatively be utilized instead of the crimp  120 . For example, the end  118  may be threaded and a lock nut arrangement installed. Alternatively a cross bore through the end  118  could be provided and a cotter pin installed to hold the washer  116  and stopper  114  in place. 
     The connectors  110  and  111  are each separately formed and assembled. First a straight rod body  112  is inserted into a machine center and the distal end is shaped into a hook or eye shape. In the case of an eye shape loop  200 , next a connector loop handle  202  is inserted onto the foot end of the rod  112  and pushed onto a base portion of the loop  200 . Next, the straight foot end of the rod body  112  is inserted into and through a stopper  114  along with a washer  116 . Finally the crimp  120  is made in the foot end  118  of the body  112  to complete the assembly of the connector  111 . 
     The spring body  102  is initially formed with only slightly tapered ends  104  and  106 . A completed connector  110  is then inserted into end  104  and a completed connector  111  inserted into end  106  of the spring body  102 , and then the ends  104  and  106  are compressed to form the final taper configuration as is shown in  FIG. 1 . This compression completes the assembly of a spring  100  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The handle body  202  is a solid body which may be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or polymer such as nylon, that has a generally truncated conical exterior shape symmetrical about its central axis A. Preferably the outer surface shape further is a concave truncated cone, with its larger diameter base portion  204  configured to face the connector loop  200  when installed on a spring connector  111 . The body  202  has a central axial bore  206  therethrough for receiving the head end of the connector body  112 . The handle body  202  has a transverse slot  208  formed in its large diameter base portion  204  that intersects the axial bore  206 . This transverse slot  208  preferably has a width and curved bottom shape complementary to an outer shape of a base portion  210  of the loop  200  formed at the head end of the connector  111 . Preferably the handle  202  further has one or more projections  212  protruding from the large diameter base portion  204  extending into its transverse slot  208  to provide an interference lock engaging a portion of the loop  200  to hold the handle  202  in position. The handle body  202  may further have a straight side portion on opposing sides of the body to facilitate a comfortable grip between a user&#39;s thumb and forefinger. 
     An alternative embodiment  220  of the handle body in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in  FIG. 2 . This body  220  has a similar outer shape to that of handle body  202 , but is designed to be installed on a previously assembled coil spring assembly that already has a loop formed in at least one of the end connectors. In this alternative embodiment  220 , the handle body  220  again has a generally truncated, preferably concave curved, conical outer shape symmetrical about its central axis A and has an axial bore  222  therethrough and a transverse slot  224  formed through its large diameter base portion  226 . This transverse slot  224  intersects the axial bore  222  and has a curved bottom shape complementary to the shape of a base portion of the connector loop  200 . In order to install the handle  220  on the connector of a previously assembled spring assembly, the handle  220  also has an axially extending radial slot  228  through its outer surface extending into the central axial bore  222 . This radial slot  228  is oriented perpendicular to and intersects with the transverse slot  224  in the large diameter base portion  226  of the handle body  220 . 
     This alternative embodiment is fastened to the loop  200  in the head end of the connector  240  by passing the handle body  220  laterally onto the stem  242  of the connector  240  adjacent the loop  200  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and by the arrow in  FIG. 4 , and then turning the body 90 degrees as shown by the arrow in  FIG. 5  to engage the base portion of the loop  200  into the transverse slot  224 . The handle body  220  is then pushed onto the loop  200  until the base portion of the loop  200  is fully seated into the transverse slot  224  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The handle  220  preferably includes one or more projections  212  as in the first embodiment  202  described above for engaging the loop  200  to retain the handle  220  on the loop  200  of the connector  240 . 
     It will be clear that embodiments of the present disclosure are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment has been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed in the spirit of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims. For example, the external shape of the connector handle  202  and  220  may be other than a truncated conical shape, or may include straight side wall portions to facilitate gripping by a user. Further, the length of the handle may be different than that shown. For example, if the handle is installed during spring assembly, the handle  202  may include a skirt (not shown) that extends over the tapered portion of the spring end  106 . Alternatively, the handle  202  may also be molded in place on a preformed loop  200  prior to assembly of the spring  100 . 
     Further, the handle  202  and  220  may be differently shaped to accommodate connectors shaped differently than in a closed loop  200 . For example, the connector may terminate in a generally spherical knob, square shape or other structure, that engages with a complementary structure in the exercise apparatus. Accordingly, all such alternatives are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.