Patent Publication Number: US-2020289865-A1

Title: Hands and feet pull exerciser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to sport and fitness equipment, and more particularly to an innovative structural design of a hands and feet pull exerciser. 
     The hands and feet pull exerciser of the present invention is a kind of sport and fitness apparatus. Thanks to its simple structure, little space occupation and good muscle exercise effect, it is nowadays very popular among consumers. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     As a conventional structural design, a hands and feet pull exerciser is mainly made up of two pedals, two elastic pull ropes and two handles assembled on the extended end of the two elastic pull ropes. When using the hands and feet pull exerciser, the user puts his/her feet on the two pedals, and use his/her hands to grip the two handles and pull and release. As the elastic pull rope can generate a resistance during the pulling, it can help exercise the muscles in the legs and arms. 
     However, in actual usage, some problems are found in said conventional hands and feet pull exerciser. For example, the connections between the components are too complicated, assembly is not easy, and the fixation is not good, thus affecting the quality and usage of the product. Moreover, the two handles in a conventional hands and feet pull exerciser are usually designed to be connected and fixed together, and can only move synchronously. As a result, when using the hands and feet pull exerciser, the user can only move his/her left and right hands synchronously, instead of moving each hand independently and flexibly. This problem is indeed an important technical issue that requires deliberation and breakthrough by those skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a hand and feet pull exerciser, which aims to address the technical issue of making an innovative breakthrough in developing an ideally practical new-style hands and feet pull exerciser with simple structure and flexible operation. 
     Based on the above object, to solve the technical issues, the present invention has the following technical characteristics. In particular, said hands and feet pull exerciser mainly comprises: a transverse frame tube , including two tube ends and a tube body section between the two tube ends; two pedals, each pedal configured with a transverse through-hole to catch the tube body section of the transverse frame tube, and the two pedals set on the left and right side of the tube body section with a spacing, and each pedal configured with an arc-shaped guard strip; two elastic pull tubes, each elastic pull tube comprising a pulled section and a connecting section, wherein said connecting section is winded and connected onto the tube body section of the transverse frame tube, with the connecting section located between the two pedals, and each elastic pull tube having at least one nose end; two loop portions, respectively configured on each pulled section; two handles, in the form of hollow tubes, sleeved on the loop portions configured on the pulled sections of the two elastic pull tubes; an elastic sleeve, having a vertical through-hole and a transverse tube insertion hole, wherein said transverse tube insertion hole is to fit the tube body section of the transverse frame tube, and said elastic sleeve is located between the two pedals. The vertical through-hole grips the periphery of the winded connecting section of the two elastic pull tubes, to elastically limit the connecting section of the two elastic pull tubes; at least one limiting piece, with the outer diameter of said limiting piece being larger than the inner diameter of the elastic pull tube, and said limiting piece being fit inside the nose end of the elastic pull tube to achieve a fixing effect. 
     Based on such an innovative and unique structural design, the present invention made an improvement to the prior art by providing a simple-style hands and feet pull exerciser with components of a transverse frame tube, pedals, an elastic pull tube, handles, an elastic sleeve and a limiting piece. It has a simple structure and assembly is very convenient, thus facilitating massive production. Apart from good industrial and economic efficiency, the product occupies little space and can be stored easily. One important feature to be noted is, between the two pedals, an elastic sleeve is adopted to elastically limit the connecting section of the two elastic pull tubes. This simple structure can achieve a perfect fixing effect. Moreover, there is another unique design that the two handles are respectively configured on the pulled sections of two elastic pull tubes. Thus, when operating the two handles, the user can move his/her left and right hands independently and flexibly for better sport and entertainment effect. This is indeed a practical inventive step. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a combined perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing the pedals of the present invention configured with an arc-shaped guard strip. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a combined sectional view of the handles and elastic pull tube nose ends of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a combined sectional view of the elastic sleeve and transverse frame tube of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a combined, sectional, enlarged view of the buckle-style end cap, transverse frame tube, and pedals of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of another implementation style of the elastic pull tube nose end of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of a further implementation style of the elastic pull tube nose end of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a combined perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a combined sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention showing that the elastic pull tube is configured with a connecting sheathe. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the second embodiment of the present invention showing that the connecting section of the elastic pull tube is in the form of one single winded tube connected to the transverse frame tube (note: components are partially indicated by dotted lines). 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of the usage of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the hands and feet pull exerciser of the present invention are disclosed in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 . While such embodiments are illustrative only, they are not intending to limit the scope of patent. 
     Said hands and feet pull exerciser comprises: a transverse frame tube  10 , which includes two tube ends  11  and a tube body section  12  between the two tube ends  11 ; two pedals  20 , with each pedal  20  configured with a transverse through-hole  21  to receive the tube body section  12  of the transverse frame tube  10 , and the two pedals  20  set on the left and right side of the tube body section  12  with a spacing, and each pedal  20  configured with an arc-shaped guard strip  22 ; two elastic pull tubes  30 , each elastic pull tube  30  comprising a pulled section  31  and a connecting section  32 , wherein said connecting section  32  is winded and connected onto the tube body section  12  of the transverse frame tube  10 , with the connecting section  32  located between the two pedals  20 , and each elastic pull tube  30  having at least one nose end  33 ; two loop portions  40 , respectively configured on each pulled section  31 ; two handles  50 , in the form of hollow tubes, sleeved on the loop portions  40  configured on the pulled sections  31  of the two elastic pull tubes  30 ; an elastic sleeve  60 , having a vertical through-hole  61  and a transverse tube insertion hole  62 , wherein said transverse tube insertion hole  62  is to fit the tube body section  12  of the transverse frame tube  10 , and said elastic sleeve  60  is located between the two pedals  20 . The vertical through-hole  61  grips the periphery of the winded connecting section  32  of the two elastic pull tubes  30 , to elastically limit the connecting section  32  (see details in  FIG. 6 ); at least one limiting piece  70 , with the outer diameter of said limiting piece  70  being larger than the inner diameter of the elastic pull tube  30 , and said at least one limiting piece  70  being fit inside at least one nose end  33  of the elastic pull tube  30  to achieve a fixing effect. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in the present embodiment, each of the two elastic pull tubes  30  is in the style of a closed loop, and the two nose ends  33  of each elastic pull tube  30  are connected to each other through insertion with one tube wall on the inner side and the other on the outer side, and the limiting piece  70  is fit inside the nose end  33  with its tube wall on the inner side, so as to fix the loop form; furthermore, in the present invention, the limiting piece  70  is a rigid round ball-shaped body. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 , the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose end  33  of the elastic pull tube  30  are located on the top of the loop portions  40  configured on the pulled section  31 , and the handles  50  correspondingly sheathe these parts, so that the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33  are hidden inside. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 7 , in the present embodiment, each tube end  11  of the transverse frame tube  10  is further configured with a buckle-style end cap  13 , said buckle-style end cap  13  including an inserting tube portion  131 , an expansion retaining lip  132  and a plurality of snaps  133 , wherein said inserting tube portion  131  is to be inserted into the tube ends  11  of the transverse frame tube  10 , and the expansion retaining lip  132  is configured on the outer end of the inserting tube portion  131 , and the outer diameter of the expansion retaining lip  132  is larger than the outer diameter of the transverse frame tube  10 , so that it can fix and limit the arc-shaped guard strip  22  and the pedals  20 . Furthermore, at positions near the tube end  11 , the tube wall of the transverse frame tube  10  is configured with a plurality of positioning holes  14  to catch the plurality of snaps  133  on the buckle-style end cap  13 , so as to fix the buckle-style end cap  13 . 
     Based on the above structural constitution and technical features, the usage of the hands and feet pull exerciser of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 13 . The user puts his/her feet on the two pedals  20 , with his/her hands gripping the two handles  50 , and starts the pulling exercise. During the pulling, the elasticity of the elastic pull tube  30  will generate an appropriate resistance. In this way, the user can exercise his/her muscles on the arms, as well as the coordination of different parts of the body. In particular, the present invention has a unique feature that the two handles  50  are respectively configured on the pulled section  31  of the two elastic pull tubes  30 . When operating the two handles  50 , his/her left hand and right hand can move flexibly on their own. Therefore, it can achieve a better exercising and entertaining effect, and the user&#39;s body can have more freedom during the swinging movement. 
     On the other hand, the present invention has a special technical feature that the elastic sleeve  60  elastically limits the connecting section  32  of the two elastic pull tubes  30  located between the two pedals  20 . As the tube wall at the winding position of the connecting section  32  is flattened, such a status can already offer appropriate anti-slip and limiting effect. With further limitation by the elastic sleeve  60  around the periphery, the limiting effect becomes perfect, and the whole structure is so simple. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , another embodiment of the nose end  33  of the present invention is disclosed. In this embodiment, the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33  of the elastic pull tube  30  are on the connecting section  32 , and the elastic sleeve  60  sheathes this part, so that the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33  are hidden inside. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a further embodiment of the nose end  33  of the present invention is disclosed. In this embodiment, the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33  of the elastic pull tube  30  are between the connecting section  32  and the pulled section  31 , and a further vertical sleeve  80  is provided outside the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33 , so that the inserting and connecting parts of the two nose ends  33  are hidden inside. And with the vertical sleeve  80  as the dividing point, the loop portions  40  configured on the pulled section  31  is thus formed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 12 , a second embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. In this embodiment, the two elastic pull tubes  30 B are formed with single tube body being winded and branched, with the connecting section  32 B of the two elastic pull tubes  30 B connected to the tube body section  12  of the transverse frame tube  10  through single tube winding, and the two tube bodies extending upward to form the pulled section  31 B of the two elastic pull tubes  30 B. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , between the pulled section  31 B of each elastic pull tube  30 B and the loop portion  40 , a further connecting sheathe  90  is used for connection. The connecting sheathe  90  comprises a transverse passage  91  and a vertical conical passage  92  that are communicated with each other. In particular, the bottom part of the loop portion  40  goes through the transverse passage  91 , while the pulled section  31 B goes upward and inserts into the vertical conical passage  92 , and be limited and fixed by a limiting piece  70  (can be a rigid round ball-shaped body) inside the nose end  33 B of the elastic pull tube  30 B to avoid separation; As shown in the embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 12 , in the present invention, the two elastic pull tubes  30 B can also be made of one single tube body being winded and branched. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the style of the first embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 .