Patent Publication Number: US-7896789-B2

Title: Push up exercise device with adjustable rotation resistance

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/153,511 filed on Feb. 18, 2009. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to the field of exercise devices. More specifically the invention relates to devices to enable wrist/forearm rotation during push up exercises. 
     2. Background Art 
     When people perform push-ups using push-up exercise devices known in the art, their potential for significant muscle conditioning gains are limited. This is due to the fact that many known devices such as pushup bars or other rotational push up devices offer the user no resistance to rotation. Fixed handles limit the potential for improved grip strength. Furthermore, some devices are not storage friendly. 
     A typical rotational push up exercise device that has no resistance to rotation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,025 issued to Hauser et al. 
     There continues to be a need for improved push up exercise devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A pushup exercise device includes a handle affixed to a handle base. The device includes a base plate. The handle base is rotatably supported on the base plate. A brake is disposed in the handle base and surrounds an extension on the base plate. The brake includes an adjuster disposed in the handle base to enable selection of resistance to rotation between the handle base and the base plate. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled view of one example of a push up exercise device according to the invention 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the example device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an assembled side view of an example push up exercise device (device)  10 . The device  10  includes a handle  12  to be gripped by the user. The handle may be supported at a suitable elevation above a handle base  16  using side mounts  14 . The handle base  16  is rotatably supported on a base plate  18 . As will be further explained below with reference to  FIG. 1 , the handle base  16  is rotatably supported on the base plate  18 , and includes an adjustable force brake ( FIG. 2 ) that adjustably changes the force required to rotate the handle base  16  while the base plate  18  remains rotationally fixed. The amount of braking force may be selected by the user by rotating an adjusting knob  20  that is disposed in the handle base  16 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the device  10  to illustrate the functional components therein. The handle  12  is supported by a handle shaft  24  that passes through openings in the side supports  14 . The handle shaft  24  may include nylon or similar material bushings  23  to be inserted in the openings in the side supports. A spring plunger  22  may be inserted into an offset opening  22 A in one of the side supports  14  and into the handle  12  if the user desires to have the handle  12  not rotate with respect to the handle base  16 . 
     The side supports  14  may be affixed to the handle base  16  using cap screws  34  or similar threaded fasteners. Rotational support for the handle base  16  may be provided by one or more bearings  30 ,  32  that into a suitably shaped recess or other feature on the underside of the handle base  16 , while the bearings  30 ,  32  may be disposed in the interior of an extension  18 A of the base plate  18 . A band-type brake  26  may be affixed, disposed or otherwise placed on the underside of the handle base  16  so as to be rotationally fixed to the handle base  16 . When the handle base  16  is assembled to the base plate  18 , the brake  26  is disposed around the base plate extension  18 A. A capscrew, bolt or similar threaded fastener  28  may pass through suitably shaped band ends  26 A,  26 B on the brake  26 . The threads on the fastener  28  engage mating threads in the adjusting knob  20 . When the adjusting knob  20  is rotated by the user, the amount of clamping force applied to the band ends  26 A,  26 B will change, thus changing the amount of clamping force applied by the brake  26  to the base plate extension  18 A. Because the brake  26  is rotationally fixed to the handle base  16 , clamping force applied to the base plate extension  18 A will cause resistance to rotation of the handle base  16  with respect to the base plate  18 . Thus, the user can select the amount of resistance to rotation of the device  10  to suit his personal requirements. In one example, the brake  26  can be made from self-lubricating plastic sold under the trademark NYLATRON, which is a registered trademark of Quadrant EPP USA Inc., 2120 Fairmont Ave., Reading, Pa. 19605. 
     The base plate  18  may include a skid resistant pad  18 B on the bottom face thereof to resist slipping when the device  10  is used. The pad  18 B may be adhesively bonded to the bottom surface of the base plate  18 . 
     A push up exercise device made according to the invention may allow the user to easily control resistance to rotation of the handle, may provide for a handle that rotates about its longitudinal axis or may be rotationally fixed, is simple to construct and is durable. 
     While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.