Patent Publication Number: US-6220995-B1

Title: Exerciser

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an exerciser in which the seat pad and the base frame can be swung, lifted and lowered and the angle of the handle can be freely adjusted. Therefore, the position of the handle can be adjusted in accordance with various conditions with the user&#39;s body stably pressing on the seat pad and the, base frame. A resilient section of the handle creates a resilient force, when pushing and pulling the handle so as to achieve an exercising effect. 
     FIG. 6 shows an existing exerciser composed of large and small U-shaped frames  90 ,  91  which are pivotally connected with each other at two ends. The pivot sections  92 ,  93  are adjustable in angle and interconnected by a transverse beam  94 . Each lateral side of the large frame  90  is disposed with a resilient section  95 ,  96 . Each end of the transverse beam  94  is equipped with a shoulder belt  97 ,  98 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, in a sit-up exercise, a user presses his/her body against the transverse beam  94  and fits the shoulder belts  97 ,  98  around the knees. The user also steps on the small frame  91  with his/her soles and pulls the large frame  90 . During the sit-up exercise, the resilient sections  95 ,  96  create a resistant force to achieve a training effect. 
     According to the above arrangement, the user must first lean the respective parts of his/her body against the small frame  91  and tranrseverse beam  94  and fit the shoulder belts  95 ,  96  around the knees and then pull the large frame  90  for exercising his/her body. However, different users have varied body configurations, while the large and small frames  90 ,  91  have fixed sizes. Therefore, it often takes place that some users can hardly suitably use the exerciser and they are subject to injury. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an exerciser including a base frame and a leg support pivotally inward foldably connected with two ends of a bottom face of the base frame, The leg support has a front arch section and a rear horizontal section, enabling a user to swing, lift and lower the base frame. Two ends of a rear side of the base frame are respectively disposed with two adjustment seats for freely adjusting the angle of the handles The position of the handle can be adjusted in accordance with various conditions for the user with the~user&#39;s body stably pressing on the seat pad and the base frame. A resilient section of the handle creates a resistant force when pushing and pulling the handle so as to achieve an exercising effect. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above exerciser in which the length of the handle is adjustable in accordance with the body configurations of different users so that the user can suitably hold the handle to exercise by various actions. 
     The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective assembled view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3A shows that the leg support of the present invention is stretched open; 
     FIG. 3B shows that the leg support of the present invention is folded; 
     FIG. 4A shows the present invention is used to exercise the waist of a user in one state; 
     FIG. 4B shows the present invention is used to exercise the waist of a user in another state; 
     FIG. 5 shows the rowing exercise of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional exerciser; and 
     FIG. 7 shows the use of the conventional exerciser. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the exerciser has an H-shaped base frame  10  on which a seat pad  11  is disposed. A leg support  20  is pivotally connected with a bottom face of the base frame  10 . The leg support  20  has a front arch section  21  and a rear horizontal section  22 . A vertical section  23  extends upwardly from a rear end of the horizontal section  22 . The leg support  20  is pivotally connected with the base frame  10  via the arch section  21  and the vertical section  23 . The leg support  20  is coated with a layer of foam sponge  25  from the arch section  21  to the adjoining portion of the horizontal section  22  and the vertical section  23 . 
     Two ends of the front aide of the bottom face of the base frame  10  are respectively disposed with two front pivot seats  12 ,  13 . Pivot members  123  are passed through two pad members  124  formed with concave faces which are snugly fitted on the arch section  21  of the leg support  20  so as to pivotally connect the leg support  20  with the front pivot seats  12 ,  13 . Two ends of the rear side of the bottom face of the base frame  10  are respectively disposed with two rear pivot seats  14 . Pivot members  142  are passed through two pad members  143  formed with concave faces which are snugly fitted on the vertical section  23  of the leg support  20  so as to pivotally connect the leg support  20  with the rear pivot seats  14 . 
     Each of the front pivot seats  12 ,  13  is formed with an arch slot  121 ,  131 . Each end of the arch slot  121 ,  131  is enlarged to form a hole  122 . The arch section  21  of the leg support  20  is formed with a thread hole  211  corresponding to the hole  122  of the front pivot seat  12 ,  13 . A bolt  24  with a large diameter section  241  is screwed and tightened in the thread hole  211  with the large diameter section  241  fitted into the hole  122  of the arch slot  121 ,  131  so as to locate the leg support  20  as shown in FIG.  3 A. When untightened, the bolt  24  can slide within the arch slot  121 ,  131 , permitting the leg support  20  to be folded. Thereafter, the bolt  24  is tightened to lock the leg support  20  as shown in FIG.  3 B. The rear pivot seat  14 ,  15  is formed with an engaging hole  141  corresponding to the hole  122  of the front pivot seat  12 ,  13 . The vertical section  23  of the leg support  20  is disposed with a leaf spring buckle  231  corresponding to the engaging hole  141  of the rear pivot seat  14 . The leaf spring buckle  231  is engaged into the engaging hole  141  to lock the leg support  20  with the rear pivot seat  14 . 
     Two ends of the rear side of the base frame  10  are respectively disposed with two tube members  16 ,  17 . A top face of each tube member is formed with a thread hole  161 . A sleeve member  18 ,  19  is fitted into the tube member  16 ,  17 . The sleeve member  18 ,  19  is formed with multiple fixing holes  181 , whereby when the sleeve member  18 ,  19  is fit into the tube member  16 ,  17 , a fixing bolt  162 ,  172  can lock the sleeve member  18 ,  19 . The sleeve member  18 ,  19 , can be passed into any end of the tube member  16 ,  17  and the length of the sleeve member  18 ,  19  can be adjusted via the fixing holes  181 . One end of the sleeve member  18 ,  19  is fixedly connected with an adjustment seat  30 . 
     The adjustment seat  30  is composed of two engaging members  31 ,  32  respectively fixedly connected wit the sleeve member  18 ,  19  of the base frame  10  and a handle  40 . An end face of each engaging member  31 ,  32  is formed with a toothed section  311 ,  321  and a socket,  312 . The engaging member  31 ,  32  is also formed with a central through hole  313 ,  323 . when the two engaging members  31 ,  32  are engaged with each other, a spring  33  is disposed in the socket  312  and a long bolt  34  is passed through the through holes  313 ,  323  of the engaging members  31 ,  32  and tightened by a nut  35 . At this time, the toothed sections  311 ,  321  of the engaging members  31 ,  32  are engaged with each other. When the nut is untightened, the engaging members  31 ,  32  can be turned relative to each other to change the angle contained thereby. Accordingly, the angle contained by the base frame  10  and the handle  40  can be adjusted by means of the adjustment seat  30 . 
     The handle  40  is composed of an upper section  41 , two middle sections  42  and two lower sections  43  interconnected with each other. One end of the lower section  43  is fixedly connected with the engaging member  32  of the adjustment seat  30 . The other end thereof is fixedly connected with a resilient body  44 . The other end of the resilient body  44  is fixedly connected with one end of the middle section  42 . The resilient body  44  is wrapped by a foam sponge layer  45 . The other end of the middle section  42  is disposed with a leaf spring buckle  421 . Two ends of the upper section  41  are respectively formed with multiple locating holes  411 , whereby when fit with the middle section  42 , the leaf spring buckle  421  is engaged into the locating hole  411  to locate the upper section  41 . The length of the handle  40  is adjustable via the locating holes  411 . In addition, a grip Section  412  of the upper section  41  is arched and inclined form the middle and lower sections  42 ,  43  by an angle. A middle portion of the grip section  412  is wrapped by a thick foam sponge layer  413 . Two end sections of the grip section  412  are wrapped by thin foam sponge layers  414 . 
     Please refer to FIGS. 4A and 4B which show the application of the present invention to the waist of a user. The leg support  20  is stretched open and normal to the bottom face of the base frame  10  and locked by the bolt  24 . A user sits on the seat pad  11  and via the adjustment seat  30 , the handle  40  is adjusted through a certain angle and positioned in front of the chest of the user. In addition, via the leaf spring buckle  421  of the middle section of the handle  40 , the length of the handle  40  is adjusted such that the grip section  41  is positioned at a height in front of the chest of the user. 
     In exercising, the user bows and presses his body downwardly against the thick foam sponge  413  of the grip section  412  of the handle  40  or holds the thin foam sponge  414  of the grip section  412  with both hands. Then the user depresses the handle  40  and the resilient body  44  is bent to create a resilient force. At this time, the gravity center of the user is moved forward. By means of the arched front section  21  of the leg support  20 , the base frame  10  will drive the leg support  20  to tilt forward and make the arch section  21  of the leg support  20  contact with the ground. Under such circumstance, the body of the user from the rear side of the thigh, to the back can be bent and stretched to achieve a greater exercising effect. When the upper part of the body of the user is restored upright, the gravity center is moved backward. At this time, the base frame  10  drives the leg support  20  to restore its home position and make the horizontal section  22  of the leg support  20  contact with the ground. 
     Please refer to FIG. 5 which shows a rowing exercise of the present invention. In this application, the leg support  20  is folded to the bottom face of the base frame  10 . The user sits on the seat pad  11  and via the adjustment seat  30  adjusts the handle  40  through an angle to the feet of the user. Then via the leaf spring buckle  421  of the middle section of the handle  40 , the length Of the handle  40  is adjusted such that the grip section  412  is positioned at the soles of the user. In exercising, the user bows and holds the thin foam sponge  414  of the grip section  412  of the handle  40  with both hands. Then the user moves the upper part of his/her body upright and pulls the handle  40 , making the resilient body  44  bend to create a resistant force. At this time, the user sits on the seat pad  11  so as to press the base frame  10  and prevent the frame from sliding on the floor. Therefore, the user can exercise his/her body with a rowing action. 
     The leg support  20  of the present invention has an arched section  21  and can be folded so that the base frame  10  can be swung, lifted and lowered. Moreover, the length of the middle and upper sections  42 ,  41  of the handle  40  can be adjusted and the angle can be adjusted via the adjustment seat  30 . Therefore, the position of the handle  40  can be adjusted in accordance with various conditions for the user. The user&#39;s body stably presses the seat pad  11  and the base frame  10 , and then the resilient body  44  creates a resistant force when pushing and pulling the handle  40  so as to achieve an exercising effect. 
     It is to be understood that the above description and drawings are only used for illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Any variation and derivation from the above description and drawings should be included in the scope of the present invention.