Patent Publication Number: US-2005143235-A1

Title: Training device

Description:
FIELD OF ART  
      This invention relates to means for training muscles and joint mobility by applying to individual parts of the human body the loading of his/her own weight as well as twisting motions due to muscular efforts of arms and legs.  
     STATE OF ART  
      Known in the art is a training device being a rotating chair of special design, which is provided with transforming loading elements (U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,650 A, A63B21/00, 26 May 1998). This known device is disadvantageous in that it is rigidly fixed when manufactured with a rotating chair of special design and may not be manufactured separately and used with chairs of other types.  
      Also known in the art is a training device being a chair of special design, which is provided with a pneumatically operated support and adjusted armrests (SU 1729456 A1, A63B21/00, 30 Apr. 1992). This known device is disadvantageous in that it has limited functional capabilities and a complex structure.  
      Also known in the art is a training device being a separate assembly comprising a leg support with rolls and means for attaching the said support to the chair, said means being made as flexible elastic links (U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,900 A, A63B21/02, 13 Jul. 1999). This known device is disadvantageous in that it has limited functional capabilities, since it is intended for developing leg muscles only.  
      Also known in the art is a training device, which has been selected as the closest analogous solution. This known device comprises a means for fixing training elements, is made with the possibility of being connected to the support bar of a rotating chair (U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,445 A, A63B21/00, 8 Aug. 2000). This known device has a simple design and is reliable in operation. It, however, develops only arm and leg muscles by overcoming the resistance of resiliently deformed training elements and does not enable to impart twisting motions to various body parts, e.g., the spine.  
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
      The objective of this invention is to create an improved training device possessing better functional and operational characteristics.  
      The achievement of this objective enables to get a totality of technical results, including the possibility of not only imparting complex loading to the arm joints and muscles, but also developing the mobility of the main sections of the spinal column. Further, the possibility of developing and efficiently power-loading the back muscles is provided. Another technical result is that this device is a separate assembly made with the possibility of coupling it with rotating chairs of various designs.  
      The stated totality of the technical results is achieved due to the fact that the training device, which is intended primarily for making twisting exercises, comprises a means for fixing training elements, the said means being made with the possibility of attaching it to the support bar of a rotating chair, and the said means for fixing training elements being made in the form of a spatial frame with poles intended for arranging training elements thereon and with the possibility of being fixed relative to the base of the rotating chair.  
      A distinctive feature of this invention is that the training device is a separate product, which may be manufactured and distributed without a rotating chair or another means for the user accommodation. For this purpose the training device is provided with a fixing means intended for coupling this device with chairs of known designs.  
      It is advisable that the device should comprise a leg support made with the possibility of moving along the guides fastened under the seat of a rotating chair.  
      It is advisable that the device should comprise a leg support made in the form of a crossbar connected via flexible links to a rotating chair.  
      It is advisable that the device should comprise elastic loading elements made with the possibility of being connected to the seat of a rotating chair.  
      It is advisable that the device should comprise elastic loading elements provided with a handle for gripping by hands.  
      It is advisable that the device should comprise training elements made in the form of a right-angle ladder with crossbars.  
      It is advisable that elastic loading elements, which are provided with handles for gripping by hands, should be installed onto the said right-angle ladder.  
      It is advisable that the device should be provided with at least one section made of a set of vertical poles and installed along the lateral side of the seat of a rotating chair.  
      Moreover, the spatial frame is made in the form of a triangular prism and is formed by the upper and the lower crossbars, the first pair of the upper and the lower crossbars being arranged between the poles and connected thereto, the second pair of the upper and the lower crossbars being arranged between the support bar of a rotating chair and one of the poles and connected thereto, and the third pair of the upper and the lower crossbars being arranged between the support bar of a rotating chair and the other pole and connected thereto.  
      It is advisable that the lower crossbar, which is arranged between the poles, should be made in the form of an U-shaped frame having three holes intended for installing the axes of the roller supports of a rotating chair. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates the general view of the device.  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of the right-angle ladder with the crossbars.  
       FIG. 3  represents an alternative variant of making the right-angle ladder provided with elastic loading elements.  
       FIGS. 4-7  show the device in different views.  
       FIG. 8  shows the general view of the means for fixing training elements.  
       FIG. 9  shows the guides fastened under the seat.  
       FIG. 10  shows the general view of the section with the vertical poles. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
      The training device, primarily for making twisting exercises, comprises the means  1  for fixing training elements. The fixing means  1  is made with the possibility of being connected to the support bar  2  of the rotating chair  3 . The means  1  for fixing training elements is made in the form of the spatial frame  4  having the poles  5  intended for the installation of training elements. The spatial frame  4  is attached to the chair  3  ( FIG. 7 ) with the use of the connecting frame  4   a  having the three holes  4   b . The holes  4   b  are intended for fixing the roller supports  4   c  therein. The spatial frame  4  may be connected to the support bar  2  of the rotating chair with the use of the clamping connection  4   d . The spatial frame  4  has the form of a triangular prism and is formed by the upper and the lower crossbars, where one pair of the upper and the lower crossbars  4   e  is arranged between the poles  5  and connected thereto, the second pair of the upper and the lower crossbars  4   f  is arranged between the support bar  2  of the rotating chair and one of the poles  5  and connected thereto, and the third pair of the upper and the lower crossbars  4   g  and connected thereto. The lower crossbar  4   e , as arranged between the poles  5 , may be made in the form of the U-shaped connecting frame  4   a  having the three holes  4   b  intended for the installation of the axes of the roller supports  4   c  of the rotating chair.  
      The means  1  for fixing training elements is made with the possibility of fixing by any known technique relative to the base  6  of the rotating chair  3 . The means  1  for fixing training elements may be connected to the support bar  2  by, e.g., a sleeve rigidly connected to the spatial frame  4 , as shown in  FIG. 8 .  
      The device may comprise the leg support  7  made with the possibility of moving along the guides  8  fastened under the seat  9  of the rotating chair  3 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The leg support  7  may be made in the form of a ladder having substantially horizontal crossbars and being able to move forward to a desired distance, as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      The device may additionally comprise the leg support made in the form of the crossbar  10  connected by the elastic links  11  to the rotating chair  3 , as shown in  FIGS. 4-7 . The crossbar  10 , which is suspended on the elastic links  11 , forms the wobbling leg support capable of making free alternate wobbling motions.  
      The device may comprise the elastic loading elements  12  made with the possibility of being connected to the seat  9  of the rotating chair. The elastic loading elements  12  may be connected to the seat  9  with, e.g., bolt clamps or by any other way. For this purpose the elastic loading elements  12  are provided with corresponding fasteners.  
      The elastic loading elements  12  are provided with the handle  13  for gripping by the hands. The handle is made of a material giving pleasant sense of touch and optimal conditions of rubbing the human skin.  
      Training elements may be made in the form of the right-angle ladder  14  with the crossbars  15 . The removable ladder  14  may be replaced in the poles  5  by any other removable training element. The ladder legs are inserted into the poles  5  of the means  1  for fixing training elements, the said poles  5  may be made, e.g., of pipes having the suitable diameter. The poles  5  and the training element legs have holes for inserting a locking element. Thus, the height adjustment of a training element may be achieved.  
      The removable elastic loading elements  12  provided with the handles  13  for gripping by the hands may be also installed on the right-angle ladder, as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
      The device may be provided with at least one section  16  made of a set of the vertical poles  17  and installed along the lateral side of the seat  9  of the rotating chair  3 . The section  16  may be made of a number of the vertical poles  17  attached in parallel on the bearing member, as shown in  FIG. 10 . The section  16  may be also attached to the seat  9  with, e.g., bolt clamps or other means.  
      The training device may be used as follows.  
      The device is prepared for operation by installing the necessary facilities onto a rotating chair. Optionally, a rotating chair may be equipped with training elements with or without elastic loading elements, a leg support, a wobbling leg support, a section with vertical poles, elastic loading elements. The said parts of the device may be installed in any combination or all together.  
      The user sits down onto the seat  9  of the rotating chair  3  and takes the initial position. He/she may, e.g., grip by the hands the handles  13  of the elastic loading elements or certain crossbars of the right-angle ladder, and his/her legs may be either on the support  7  or on the crossbar  10  of the leg support.  
      By acting some or other groups of muscles under his/her own weight, the user applies loads to them.  
      Exercises of another kind may be may if the user starts successively gripping by his/her hands, e.g., the poles  17  in the section  16  installed on one side. This results in twisting the spinal column around its axis. Motions may be made either in one or in another direction.  
      Thus, by using various configurations of additional facilities and combining various variants of hand grips and body positions various loads may be applied to individual groups of muscles and parts of the body.