Patent Publication Number: US-10773120-B2

Title: Exercise rocker

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/761,603, filed on Mar. 31, 2019, to the same inventor. 
    
    
     I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     An exercise device focusing on core strengthening and development of abdominal and gluteal muscle groups provides a curved inner track which provides a rolling seat and a flat outer track providing a rolling leg support over which the legs engage, positioning the body in a recumbent position, with contraction and extension of the abdomen compelling the rolling seat and rolling leg support using a pelvic thrusting motion to strengthen and exercise lower back, abdominal, gluteal, quadriceps and hamstring muscles and to improve and refine the shape and condition of the muscle groups. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present exercise device, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,192 to Abelbeck, an abdominal muscle training device is provided with a horizontal pedal system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,249 to Harris discloses a pushing and pulling machine utilizing the user&#39;s weight to provide resistance using a curved track and roller assembly, but does not involve the same dual action tracks, a separate seat member and a separate leg rest member operating on two independent tracks. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,650 to Endelman, a horizontal device which provides a resistance to a user with a head and foot end and a platform upon which the user lies, pushing and pulling against a plurality of springs. In another device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,953 to Graham, a horizontal platform upon which the user lies, uses arm movement to compel the sled up and down the frame against the user&#39;s body weight. 
     II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Strengthening the core muscle groups in the waist and low back using exercise equipment is the subject of many exercise machines. This can involve weight machines, rowing machines and other equipment intended to target these core muscle groups. In many instances where the exercise equipment involves weighted stress or resistance, many times the exercise use can result in injury or movement beyond the scope of the user&#39;s capability. It has been found that if the exercise is too strenuous, a user will simply discontinue use of the equipment and these machines end up being sold for pennies on the dollar at garage sales or simply discarded. 
     The intention of the present exercise device is to provide a low impact and non-injury device that uses a mild rocking motion similar to that involved in using a swing set or rocking chair, wherein weights and resistance are avoided and the user simply rocks back and forth using a pelvic thrusting motion repeatedly, resulting in an ample core workout with little or lessen impact. The present device offers a folding seat which has four wheels engaging and upward curved track and an elevated leg rest having four wheels engaging a separate horizontal track, with the motion of the pelvis during a rocking movement causing the chair to move forward and backward, with the elevated leg rest following the movement along the horizontal track to isolate the muscles required to move the chair and leg rest confined to the core muscle groups of the abdomen and lower back, with resulting exercise movement also including the gluteal, quadriceps and hamstring muscles and to improve and refine the shape and condition of the muscle groups. 
    
    
     
       III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application. 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the exercise rocker. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the exercise rocker. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the exercise rocker. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan of the exercise rocker with phantom line indicating the chair and the cross members. 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the exercise rocker with the seat member and elevated leg member towards the rear of the exercise device along sectional lines  5 / 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the exercise rocker along sectional line  6 / 6  of  FIG. 4  with the seat member at the lowest point along the upward curved track. 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevation of the exercise rocker. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the exercise rocker along sectional lines  8 / 8  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An exercise device  10 ,  FIGS. 1-8 , targeting the core muscle groups including the lower back, abdominal, gluteal, quadriceps and hamstring muscles and to improve and refine the shape and condition of the muscle groups, provides the device  10  having a seat member  50 , defining a retractable chair  52  mounting upon a base frame  56  extending four lower wheels  58  including a right front, a left front, a right rear and a left rear, each wheel rotating within an upward curved track  20  defining two parallel segments  22 , further having a lower elevated leg rest member  70 , the lower elevated leg rest member  70  defining a frame  77 , a knee bar  72  and a calf bar  74  upon which the user places their bent leg, the elevated leg rest member  70  further presenting a base  76  mounting four lower wheels  78 , the four wheels including a right front, a left front, a right rear and a left rear, each wheel  78  rotating within a linear parallel lower track  40  defining two parallel segments  42 , each segment  42  providing two parallel forward and backward pathways within the respective parallel segments  42 , wherein the seat member  50  provides the user with a sitting platform while the bent legs of the user are placed over the lower elevated leg rest member  70 , the user compelling the seat member  50  and lower elevated leg rest member  70  forward by extending the back and further compelling the seat member  50  and lower elevated leg rest member  70  backward by leaning forward, thereby providing movement compelled by a rocking motion of the user while situated upon the exercise device  10 . The upward curved tracks  20  and parallel lower tracks  40  are commonly mounted upon a radial mounting brace,  15 . 
     The seat member  50  further defines a contoured chair seat  53 , a contoured chair back  54 , and preferably arm rests  55 , although the arm rests  55  are optional,  FIGS. 1-8 . The base  56  of the seat member provides the four wheels  58  in parallel alignment as shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , aligning the wheels  58  to provide forward and rear linear movement within the upward curved track  20 . Likewise, the lower elevated leg rest member  70 ,  FIGS. 1-8 , further defines the knee bar  72  and a calf bar  74  upon which the user places their bent leg placing the bent knee over the knee bar  72  and the calf upon the calf bar  74 , the user seated in a recumbent position while using the exercise device  10 . The knee bar  72  and calf bar  74  are preferably padded and adjustable in distance and height using an adjustment means, not shown. The lower elevated leg rest member  70  may be retractable for compact storage when not assembled for use. 
     The upward curved track  20  and linear parallel lower track  40  respectively define a left and right segment  22 ,  42 , including channel tracks which further define an upper rail  24 ,  44 , and lower rail  25 ,  45 , running parallel vertically and horizontally, forming respective wheel channels  29 ,  49 , within which each respective left or right side wheels  58 ,  78 , are secured, providing independent linear movement of each confined wheel  58 ,  78 . These upper and lower rails  24 ,  25 ,  44 ,  45 , are attached by a plurality of track cross-members  26 ,  46 , to support and maintain parallel alignment of each set of tracks located within the separate upward curved tracks  20  and linear parallel lower track  40  as well as a plurality of vertical support members  28 ,  48 , to further maintain the parallel integrity. 
     Placement of the exercise device  10  would include locating the radial base plate 15 connecting the upward curved tracks  20  and the linear parallel lower tracks  40  on a flat surface, orienting the attached upward curved track at its lowest point, as best shown in  FIGS. 1-8 . The seat member  50  and lower elevated leg rest member  70  are then placed upon their respective tracks within their respective wheel channels  29 ,  49 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , with the knee bar  72  closest to the seat member  50 . The user then sits upon the seat and places their legs as previously indicated, and commences the rocking motion, just as one would compel a swing, moving forward and backward by extension and retraction at the waist. Another element of motion is derived from the height differential of the user&#39;s upper torso and elevation of the legs upon the lower elevated leg rest member  70 , where the legs are higher than the majority of the weight upon the seat member. A simple shift of the weight of the upper torso will urge the seat member  50  to move forward to distribute the weight of the user to a point where the weight seeks and distribution of equality at an apex with the body&#39;s position, with the seat member  50  and lower elevated leg rest member  70  being moved backwards on the return, as indicated in  FIG. 5 . It should not take a great deal of movement to commence movement of the exercise device  10  components along the track, and other items to assist movement may include bearings added to the respective wheels  58 ,  78 , or upon axles attached to each frame member, handles located on the seat member, or other added elements to enhance, compel and sustain movement and other elements to provide resistance for enhanced progressive workouts. The user may chose to exercise for as long as they wish, halting movement by simply not rocking. 
     The exercise device  10 , having four basic components, would provide for compact storage, disassembly of each component including the upward curved track, the linear parallel track, the seat member and the lower leg rest member, or collapsible or folding into a flat position for storage when not in use and deployed into an extended position for use. This can be accomplished through the addition of hinges, connector pins or other components to allow movement at any joint within the device. In addition to the embodiments shown in the drawing figures, the upward curved tracks may be located outside or inside the linear parallel lower tracks, with the drawings showing the embodiment where the upward curves tracks  20  are located inside the linear parallel lower tracks  40 . And they may also constitute only one level of upward curved tracks  20 , horizontally parallel and one level of linear parallel tracks  70  without requiring the upper set of corresponding vertically parallel placed tracks forming the wheel channels  29 ,  49 , with the wheels simply riding on the single layer of respective tracks or rails. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.