Patent Publication Number: US-6338704-B1

Title: Exercise apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/176,533, filed Oct. 21, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,425, issued Sept. 19, 2000 and is related to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,681,249, 5,338,278, 5,607,381 and 5,653,670, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to the field of exercise equipment in which a movable carriage is utilized to at least partially support a user&#39;s body, commonly referred to as a “reformer”, and more particularly to a reformer having either or both adjustable carriage travel and extended carriage travel. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Joseph H. Pilates, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,621,477, originally developed the concept of using a wheeled platform carriage connected to a resistance device such as a set of weights in conjunction with a stationary frame to provide a variable resistance against which a user could push with his/her feet or pull with the arms while in a sitting or recumbent position in order to exercise the major muscle groups of the user&#39;s trunk, legs and/or arms. Since that time many changes and improvements in the design of such an apparatus were developed by Joseph Pilates, and more recently, have been evolved by his students and others. U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,005 and my patents referred to above are representative of the current state of evolutionary development of these changes that have taken place since 1927. 
     The current conventional apparatus is commonly referred to as a “reformer” which includes a wheeled platform carriage which rides on a rectangular wooden or metal frame. The carriage is connected to a series of parallel springs or elastic members which are in turn connected to a foot end of the rectangular frame. The carriage rides on parallel rails or tracks mounted to the inside of the longer sides of the rectangular frame. This carriage typically includes a pair of spaced, padded, upright shoulder stops and a head rest at one end to support the shoulders and head of the user when he/she is reclined on the carriage. An adjustable foot bar, foot support, or foot rest against which the user places his/her feet is removably mounted to the foot end of the rectangular frame. A spring support rod is positioned across the foot end between the tracks by a spring support bracket fastened to the frame. The rod typically fits in one of three or four recesses or slots in the support bracket, depending on the size or ability of the user. Alternatively, the spring support rod may be permanently fastened to the frame. The user can then push against the foot rest to move the carriage along the track away from the foot rest against spring tension to exercise the leg and foot muscle groups in accordance with prescribed movement routines. The carriage is prevented from moving close to the foot rest by a stop pin fastened to the top of each track, against which the carriage abuts when the carriage is at rest. The maximum limit of carriage travel is provided by the head rest abutting the end wall of the frame. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,276, 5,607,381 and 5,681,249 disclose several foot rest arrangements and adjustable head rest assemblies for this type of exercise apparatus. One of the difficulties which the currently available reformers do not optimally address is the capability to optimally adjust the apparatus configuration for those users who are outside the normal range of human frame sizes and flexible abilities. The typical basketball player, for example, is well over 6 feet 6 inches in height. Therefore when such a tall person exercises on a reformer, the carriage may be fully extended toward the head end of the frame before the user has fully extended his legs. The springs may also be overextended at this point in the user&#39;s movement, subjecting the user&#39;s body to other than optimum resistance during the exercise. 
     Alternatively, a user may be shorter than the norm such that the distance between the foot rest and the shoulder stops on the carriage is less than optimum when the carriage is at rest on the spring stops along the tracks or rails. Accordingly there is a need for a reformer type of exercise apparatus having an adjustable carriage and spring arrangement to accommodate these extremes in physical body sizes as well as optimally position the carriage with respect to the foot rests for user&#39;s within the normal body size range. In addition, there is a need for a reformer type of apparatus which accomodates the range of motion of those individuals who are substantially taller than normal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above identified limitations in conventional reformer designs. The present invention is an exercise apparatus which comprises a preferably wheeled carriage having a generally flat top surface. The carriage is movably mounted on parallel track members of a generally rectangular frame which has a head end and a foot end. The carriage has a pair of shoulder stops mounted thereto and a head rest between the shoulder stops that extends outward from the carriage toward the head end of the frame. A plurality of elastic members connected between the foot end and the carriage elastically biases the carriage toward the foot end of the frame. A movable spring anchor bar and carriage stop assembly and a foot rest support is provided at the foot end of the rectangular frame to anchor the elastic members and position the carriage appropriately in relation to the anchor bar. 
     The spring anchor bar and carriage stop assembly comprises a pair of spaced elongated stop members which ride on the track members. A spring anchor bar extends between the stop members. The spring anchor bar is captured by a pair of spring anchor support brackets each having a plurality of bar receiving recesses therein. Each support bracket is fixed to one of the track members. Each end of the spring anchor bar is rigidly fastened to one of the elongated stop members. The spring anchor bar and carriage stop assembly lies on top of and across the tracks at the foot end of the frame. The assembly may also include a latch mechanism, that can be operated with one hand, to removably secure the assembly to the spring anchor support brackets. One end of each of the stop members acts as a carriage stop which properly maintains the minimum distance between the carriage and the anchor bar regardless of which recess in the support bracket carries the anchor bar. This feature permits the carriage to be optimally positioned on the tracks for small and large users. 
     The head end of the frame supports a pair of upright pulley support arms and also includes a cutout between the support arms specifically sized to permit passage of the head support on the movable carriage. This cutout in the frame permits the carriage to travel against spring tension the full length of the parallel tracks to accommodate those users who are substantially taller than the normal range of users of the exercise apparatus. 
     The foot end of the frame also has a rotatable foot rest supported by a U shaped foot rest support bar. A pair of foot rest support bar support brackets, each of which has several slots for receiving a central portion of the foot rest bar, is fastened to the foot end of the frame. The bracket has a rib in each of the slots to positively retain the foot rest support bar within the slot in order to maintain desired positioning of the foot rest. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein a particular embodiment of the invention is disclosed as an illustrative example. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention with the carriage shown in the retracted position against the carriage stop bars. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exercise apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the carriage fully extended to the head end of the frame in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a separate perspective view of one embodiment of an integral foot bar and anchor bar support bracket in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. 
     FIG.  4 . Is a partial plan view of the foot end of the apparatus according to the present invention with the carriage (not shown) extended against spring tension. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line  5 — 5 . 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken along the line  6 — 6  in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a separate perspective view of an alternative foot bar and anchor bar support bracket arrangement in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An exercise apparatus  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown in a retracted and extended position in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively. Exercise apparatus  10  comprises a generally rectangular frame  12  having a head end  14  and a foot end  16  and a pair of parallel track or rail members  18 . The frame  12  may be a generally rectangular wood frame with the track or rail members  18  fastened to the insides of opposite side walls  20  of the frame  12 , or the rail members  18  themselves may constitute the parallel side walls of the frame  12 , as in a reformer having a metal tubular frame. The apparatus  10  further comprises a movable carriage  22  slidably or rollably disposed on the track members  18  for movement back and forth on the track members  18  between the head and foot ends  14  and  16  respectively. 
     The carriage  22  includes a generally flat padded platform  24  for supporting a user&#39;s body and has a pair of spaced apart shoulder stops 26  fastened to the upper surface of the platform  24  adjacent the head end of the carriage  22  and a head rest  28  centered between the shoulder stops  26 . The head rest  28  may be hinged to the platform  24  such that it may be adjusted between at least a raised and a lowered position. The head rest extends outward from the platform  24  toward the head end of the frame  12 . Preferably the carriage  22  has four wheels or rollers (not shown) which support the carriage  22  on the track members  18  for movement back and forth on the track members  18  with minimal friction. A plurality of elastic resistance members, typically springs  30  as shown in the Figures, are hooked to or otherwise fastened between the foot end of the carriage  22  and the foot end  14  of the frame  12  such that the carriage  22  is biased toward the foot end of the frame  12 . 
     A U shaped foot rest bar  32  having a central foot rest portion  34  and two support legs  36  is pivotally mounted to the side walls  20  near the foot end  16  of the frame  12 . This foot rest bar  32  is supported above the frame  12  by a U shaped bar support  38  which has a straight central bar portion  40  between parallel leg portions  42  which are in turn pivotally attached to the legs  36  of the foot rest bar  32  at a point between the ends of the legs  36 . The central portion  40  of the bar support  38  is sized to rest in a pair of foot rest bar support brackets  44 . These support brackets  44  are fastened to the end wall  46  of the frame  12  and each of the foot rest bar support brackets  44  has a series of vertically spaced recesses or slots  48  adapted to receive the central portion  40  of the support  38 . Since these slots  48  are spaced vertically, the vertical position of the foot rest portion  34  of the foot rest bar  32  may be varied by repositioning the support  38  into a different slot  48 . 
     Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, another aspect of the present invention is shown. The carriage  22  is shown extended, stretching the springs  30 , all the way to the head end  14 . The head end  14  has an end wall  50  spacing the two side walls  20  apart. This end wall  50  has an aperture or cutout  52  therethrough permitting the head rest  28  to fit therethrough so that the carriage  22  is fully butted up against the inside of the end wall  50 . This cutout  52  permits the carriage  22  to travel  3 - 6  inches further than with the conventional reformer designs discussed above. 
     One embodiment of another aspect of the present invention is shown at the foot end  16  in FIG.  2 . The springs  30  are attached to an anchor bar and carriage stop assembly  60  on the tracks  18  at the foot end  16 . The anchor bar and carriage stop assembly  60  adjustably anchors the springs to an anchor bar  62  at the foot end  16  of the frame  12  and maintains a predetermined minimum distance between the carriage  22  and the anchor bar  62 . The anchor bar  62  is preferably an elongated straight bar having a rectangular cross section. Each end of the anchor bar  62  is fastened, preferably by a welded joint, to a carriage stop bar  64  which extends at right angles to the anchor bar  62 . Each of the carriage stop bars  64  extends parallel to each other and rests on top of the track members  18  as shown in the plan view of FIG.  4 . 
     The anchor bar  62  is captured in anchor bar support brackets  66  which are preferably fixedly attached to the tracks  18 . Each of the support brackets  66  has a plurality of rectangular notches  68  therein each of which is sized to receive the anchor bar  62 . These brackets  66  may be separate structures as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG.  5 . Alternatively, the anchor bar support bracket  66  may be integrally formed with the foot rest support bar support bracket  44  as is separately shown in FIG.  3 . In this case the integral bracket would be fastened to both the track  18  and the wall  46  as is shown in FIGS. 4,  5  and  6 . 
     The anchor bar support bracket may also have a base plate  70  fastened to the track  18  and the bracket  66  in turn fastened to the base plate  70  as is shown in FIGS. 4,  5  and  6 . Also, as best shown in FIG. 4, the anchor bar  62  is preferably fastened to the rear end of the stop bar  64 . However, it may alternatively be fastened to the rear end of the stop bar  64  bar  62  may be positioned in a slot  68  directly beneath the support bracket  44  at the end wall  46 . 
     As is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the assembly  60  also includes a latching mechanism  80  for ensuring positive engagement and retention of the anchor bar  62  in the notches  68  at all times during which a user may be exercising on the apparatus  10 . Many configurations of latching mechanisms are possible. One arrangement is shown as being exemplary. The latching mechanism  80  preferably comprises an elongated latch handle  82  which has parallel threaded ends  84  bent at right angles to the handle  82  and extending through vertical apertures through the anchor bar  62  adjacent each end of the anchor bar  62 . A latch bar  86  extends between the tracks  18  under the anchor bar  62  and is slidably fastened to the threaded ends  84 . The latch bar  86  is long enough so that its ends engage the undersides of the base plates  70 . A coil spring  88  is positioned on each of the threaded ends  84  and is captured between the latch bar  86  and a nut  90  threaded onto each of the threaded ends  84 . The coil springs  88  bias the latch plate toward the anchor bar  62  and in turn provide a spring bias on the anchor bar  62  into the recesses or notches  68  in the support bracket  66 . 
     The springs  30  each have a ring at the rear end which can be slipped onto one of two different anchors  92  or  93 , depending on the spring tension desired on the carriage  22  when the carriage is at rest against the ends of the stop bars  64 . The anchor bar  62  has preferably five anchor hooks  92  spaced apart along one side facing the carriage  22 . Another series of five preferably spool shaped posts or hook anchors  93  are fastened to the upper side of the anchor bar  62 . This arrangement provides an adjustment between a relaxed attachment for the springs, engaging the hooks  92  on the side facing the carriage  22  and affording a small bias when engaging the hook anchors  93  on the upper side. In either configuration, the position of the anchor bar and carriage stop bar, along with the carriage  22  may be changed by simply lifting up the handle  82  and sliding the assemblage to another slot  68 . In this way the carriage position relative to the foot rest  32  may be changed independently and without changing the tension on the springs  30 . Further, with the anchor arrangement in accordance with the present invention, the anchor bar  62  constrained from any rotation. As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, plates  70  also have a stop  71  projecting from the underside inner corners to prevent a user from inadvertently sliding the anchor bar  62  too far toward the head end  14  and thus disengaging the latch bar  86 . 
     A perspective view of an alternative of a foot rest and anchor bar support bracket assembly  91  is shown in FIG.  7 . The assembly  91  is similar to the foot rest support bar support bracket  44  shown in FIG. 3 except that there are two separate pieces: an anchor bar support bracket  95  and a foot rest support bar support bracket  94 . The support bracket  94  is bolted or otherwise fastened to the vertical inside surface of the foot end of the frame  12 . The support bracket  95  is bolted or otherwise fastened to the track or rail  18  optionally via a plate  70  as in the embodiment  10  shown in FIGS. 4-6. These brackets  95  and  94  together perform the functions of bracket  44 . 
     The bracket  94  has several open slanted parallel slots  96 . The slot  96  is sized to receive the central portion  40  of the U shaped foot rest bar support  38 . Each slot  96  has protrusion or transverse rib  98  that interferes with insertion of the central portion  40  of the support  38 . The support  38  must be pushed past the rib  98  to fully seat the central portion  40  of the support  38  in each of the slots  96 . Conversely, to change the height of the foot rest  32 , the central portion  40  must be pulled out of the slots  96  past the ribs  98 . This “snap fit” engagement of the central portion  40  in the slots  96  tends to ensure that the foot rest  32  purposefully remains positioned at the desired height during exercises. Each of the separate pieces  95  and  94  is a piece of bar stock preferably manufactured from a plastic material such as a nylon, Delrin or other substantially rigid, tough material. The rib  98  may be a straight transverse rib as shown in FIG. 7 or may be one or more bumps or protrusions on either or both of the upper and lower walls of the slot  96  such that a friction fit must precede full insertion of the central portion  40  of the support  38  into the pair of slots  96 . This configuration positively retains the foot support  32  in a desired position. Similarly, the support bracket  44  shown in FIG. 3 may be provided with transverse ribs or protrusions  98  in the slots  48 . 
     The anchor bar support bracket  95  is the same as the long leg of the support  44 , having spaced notches  68  to receive the anchor bar  62  as shown in FIG.  4 . The anchor bar support bracket  95  may be fastened directly to the rail  18  or fastened first to a plate  70  as shown, depending on the width of the anchor bar  62 . The depth of the anchor bar support bracket notches  68  may also be deep enough to accommodate provision of transverse ribs  98  or protrusion to positively retain the anchor bar  62  in the notches  68  in a similar manner as in the slots  96 . 
     The present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above. Many changes, alternatives, variations, and equivalents to the various structures shown and described will be apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, the anchor bar and carriage stop assembly may be designed for use with a tubular steel apparatus as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,381 and 5,338,278. In this instance, the tracks are tubular frame rails and the carriage stop bars would be shaped to ride on the tubular parallel frame rails. The anchor bar support bracket would similarly be shaped to be attached in a fixed position on the tubular frame rails. The anchor bar  62  and carriage stop bar  64  may have other than rectangular cross sections as shown. These members may be round and may be alternately fashioned from a single piece of material. Similarly, the foot rest  32  and the foot rest support  38  may be made other than as specifically shown and described. The anchors 92  may be cap posts, hooks, rings, or other appropriately shaped members designed to receive or attach to one end of each of the springs  30 . Alternatively, various other types of elastic resistance elements such as elastic cords may be substituted for springs  30 . The carriage  22  may ride in a pair of C shaped channel tracks. Accordingly, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described and shown herein with reference to the illustrated embodiments. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments illustrated but is intended to cover all such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and broad scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.