Patent Publication Number: US-11383122-B1

Title: Portable exercise kit

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/859,829 filed on Jun. 11, 2019. The above identified patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a foldable and collapsible portable exercise kit that enables individuals to transport and deploy the kit in situations and spaces that ordinarily do not lend themselves to exercising. 
     Many individuals are regularly engaged with occupations or activities that leave little time and space for physical activity. For example, individuals operating motor vehicles for long periods of time do not have ready access to exercise space inside their vehicles. Long-distance truck drivers, in particular, tend to be more susceptible to injuries or other health problems as a result of such lack of physical exercise and activity. Even during their free time, many of these truck drivers are often unable to exercise as they have very little vehicle storage space for their personal articles such as gym and exercise equipment. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art for a portable exercise kit that allows stationary individuals, particularly those with limited available storage space, to exercise as needed to maintain or improve their health. The present invention addresses this unmet need. 
     Kits and devices have been disclosed in the art that relate to exercise. These include items that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These items are often bulky, heavy, and do not provide a sufficiently compact structure to enable users to perform a variety of exercises and muscle stretches. In view of the items disclosed in the art, it is submitted that there is a need for an improvement to existing kits, devices, and other items that relate to exercise and that the present invention substantially diverges in structural and functional elements from these items in the art, and substantially fulfills an unmet need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of exercise equipment in the art, the present invention provides an exercise kit, wherein the same can be utilized for enabling individuals to compactly store the kit as well as deploy the same in order to exercise, stretch, and perform other similar physical activities while on the go. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable exercise kit for compactly storing and utilizing the portable exercise kit in methods of exercising, stretching, and combinations thereof. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a portable exercise kit comprising a bench. Generally, the bench comprises a plurality of sections hingedly connected together, and each section of the plurality of sections comprises a frame portion with a plurality of cross members rigidly connected to the frame portions. A plurality of legs is also hingedly connected the sections. The bench also includes a plurality of eyelets that extend outwards from the perimeter of the bench, which may be used for attachment to one or more elastic members, for performance of exercises and stretches by an individual. The kit also includes a padded member; the padded member is sized to cover a portion of the plurality of sections to increase comfort to the individual when using the kit. In various embodiments, the kit also includes an elastic member, the elastic member is reversibly attachable to the plurality of eyelets for the exercises and stretches. 
     In various embodiments, the legs of the plurality of legs are foldable to configure the legs to be compactly placed alongside the plurality of cross members. In addition, the sections of the plurality of sections are foldable to configure the sections to be compactly placed alongside one another. If the legs are folded inward, such that they are alongside the cross members, and the sections are also folded inward, such that they are adjacent one another, the bench occupies a relatively lesser volume and is configured for storage or transport. The sections are fully extendable to form a bench configuration, such that they are co-planar with one another, and are partially extendable to form a chair configuration. In this manner, the bench and/or the chair configuration of the bench may be utilized for exercises and/or stretches. Further, if the legs—or a selection thereof—are extended outward, such that they are perpendicular to the section to which they are hingedly connected, the legs may be used to contact a floor, a ground, or another lower surface for elevation of the bench therefrom to aid the individual using the kit. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable exercise kit that may be readily manufactured from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manners in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a side perspective view of an embodiment of the portable exercise kit, in a bench configuration. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a side perspective view of the portable exercise kit, in a chair configuration. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a bottom-up view of the portable exercise kit, in the bench configuration, with a plurality of legs unfolded such that it is perpendicular to a plurality of sections of the bench. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a bottom-up view of the portable exercise kit, in the bench configuration, with the plurality of legs folded such that it is parallel to the plurality of sections of the bench. 
         FIG. 5A  depicts a cross sectional view of a leg of the plurality of legs, unfolded such that it is perpendicular to a plurality of cross members of a section of the plurality of sections. 
         FIG. 5B  depicts a cross sectional view of the leg of the plurality of legs, folded such that it is parallel to the plurality of cross members of the section of the plurality of sections. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a perspective view of a set of components of the portable exercise kit, in a compact configuration for storage or transport of the kit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the invention. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is depicted a perspective view of a set of components of an embodiment of the portable exercise kit, in a compact configuration for storage or transport of the kit. In various embodiments, a portable exercise kit  1  includes a bench  2 , a padded member  3 , and an elastic member. The bench  2  comprises a plurality of sections hingedly connected together, and each section of the plurality of sections comprises a frame portion with a plurality of cross members rigidly connected thereto, and a plurality of legs hingedly connected thereto. The bench  2  also includes a plurality of eyelets that extend therefrom, which may be used to engage one or more elastic members during exercise and/or training by an individual using the kit. The padded member  3  may include a plurality of padded members  3 , as shown. In this manner, the padded member  3  may be sized to cover a portion of the plurality of sections of the bench  2 , and multiple padded members  3  may be used to cover multiple portions of the plurality of sections, as would be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art. 
     Generally, the term “elastic member”, as used herein, refers to any suitable flexible and/or elastic structure that may be used by the individual to exercise and/or stretch. The elastic member may include one or more of a spring  18 , a flexible loop  19 , a rigid handle  20 , and an elongated bungie cord  21 . In one embodiment, the rigid handle  20  is removably securable to the elastic member. In addition, or in the alternative, the elastic member may be a combination and/or a plurality of any of these components or their structural or functional equivalents. In various embodiments, the components of the kit, which may include but may not necessarily be limited to the bench  2 , the padded member  3 , and the elastic member, are able to be in a relatively compact configuration for storage and/or transport, as shown, and may also be able to be in a relatively expanded configuration for use. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is depicted a side perspective view of an embodiment of the portable exercise kit, in a bench configuration. Generally, as a component of the portable exercise kit  1 , the bench  2  includes the plurality of sections. In the shown embodiment, the plurality of sections includes a first end section with a frame portion  4 , a middle section with a frame portion  5 , and a second end section with a frame portion  6 . The frame portion  4  of the first end section includes a plurality of cross members  7 , the frame portion  5  of the middle section includes a plurality of cross members  8 , and the frame portion  6  of the second end section includes a plurality of cross members  9 . The pluralities of cross members  7 ,  8 , and  9  are rigidly affixed to the frame portions  4 ,  5 , and  6 , and the frame portions  4 ,  5 , and  6  are hingedly connected to each other by hinges  11 . 
     In the shown embodiment, the hinges  11  that connect the first end section to the middle section are positioned on a bottom side thereof, and the hinges  11  that connect the second end section to the middle section are positioned on a top side thereof. Further, in the shown embodiment, the hinges  11  run across an entire width of the bench  2 . In other embodiments, smaller hinges  11  can be utilized that cover only a portion of the width of the bench  2 . The first end section is configured to hingedly fold downward under the bottom side of the middle section, and the second end section is configured to hingedly fold upward over the top side of the middle section when folding and compacting the bench  2  for storage and/or transport. In such embodiments, if the second end section is folded the plurality of cross members  9  of the second end section is proximal to the plurality of cross members  8  of the middle section; similarly, if the first end section is folded the plurality of legs  12  of the first end section is proximal to the plurality of legs  13  of the middle section. 
     In the shown embodiment, the legs of the pluralities of legs of the bench are both telescopic and foldable. In various embodiments, the legs comprise cylindrical cross-sections, as seen in  FIG. 1 , and square cross-sections, as seen in  FIG. 2 . The telescopic feature of the legs enables the individual to adjust a height of one or more sections of the plurality of sections of the bench  2 , and to secure the height in place for use of the bench  2 . A plurality of legs  12  of the first end section includes three legs  12 , a plurality of legs  13  of the middle section includes four legs  13 , and a plurality of legs  14  of the second end section includes three legs  14 . In some embodiments, the number of legs of the bench  2  does not exceed ten, and in this manner, the bench  2  may be relatively lightweight compared to some alternate embodiments and may be easier to fold and compact. In such embodiments, the plurality of legs  12  consists of three legs, the plurality of legs  13  consists of four legs, and the plurality of legs  14  consists of three legs. 
     In the shown embodiment, the plurality of eyelets  10  includes eyelets that are affixed to the frame portions  4 ,  5 , and  6  of each of the first end section, the middle section, and the second end section. The eyelets  10  extend laterally outward from the frame portions  4 ,  5 , and  6 . In the shown embodiment, a front surface of the second end section  6  is devoid of eyelets  10 . In this manner, the eyelets  10  do not poke a portion of the individual using the bench  2 , and comfort of the individual is increased or maximized during use of the bench  2 . Similarly, the padded member  3  may increase or maximize comfort by cushioning the individual when seated on, lying on, or otherwise placing his or her body weight on the padded member  3 . In like manner, the padded member  3  may elevate the individual above the eyelets  10 , further ensuring the eyelets  10  do not decrease comfort by poking the individual during use. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is depicted a side perspective view of the portable exercise kit, in a chair configuration. In various embodiments, any two sections of the plurality of sections of the bench  2  are configurable to be parallel or perpendicular to one another. In the shown configuration, the first end section (with the frame portion  4 ) is parallel (but not co-planar) with the middle section (with the frame portion  5 ), and the second end section (with the frame portion  6 ) is perpendicular with each of the first end section and the middle section. The plurality of legs  14  of the second end section are in an unfolded and extended configuration to engage a surface underneath the bench  2 . In the chair configuration, eyelets  10  of the frame portion  6  may be used to reversibly attach one or more elastic members thereto, and in addition or in the alternative, the elastic member(s) may be reversibly attached to eyelets  10  of the frame portion  4 , the frame portion  5 , or a combination thereof. The padded member  3  includes a backrest padded member  3 , which is placed over the frame portion  5  and the plurality of cross members  8  of the middle section, and a seat padded member  3 , which is placed over the frame portion  6  and the plurality of cross members  9  of the second end section. In the chair configuration, the hinges  11  that connect the frame portion  4  to the frame portion  5  are fully compressed, and the hinges  11  that connect the frame portion  5  to the frame portion  6  are partially compressed. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there are depicted a bottom-up view of the bench, in the bench configuration, with a plurality of legs unfolded such that it is perpendicular to a plurality of sections of the bench ( FIG. 3 ), and a bottom-up view of the bench, in the bench configuration, with the plurality of legs folded such that it is parallel to the plurality of sections of the bench ( FIG. 4 ). The bench  2  of the kit  1  includes the first end section with the frame portion  4 , the middle section with the frame portion  5 , and the second end section with the frame portion  6 , each hingedly connected to each other, as shown, by hinges  11 . The frame portion  4  includes the plurality of cross members  7 , the frame portion  5  includes the plurality of cross members  8 , and the frame portion  6  includes the plurality of cross members  9 . The pluralities of legs  12 ,  13 , and  14  are extended from the frame portions  7 ,  8 , and  9  toward the viewer, and in the shown bench configuration, the bench  2  may be configured for use with other components of the kit  1  ( FIG. 3 ). To prepare the bench  2  for storage or transport, the pluralities of legs  12 ,  13 , and  14  may be folded about leg hinges that hingedly connect the legs  12 ,  13 , and  14  to the frame portions  4 ,  5 , and  6 . Further, in the shown embodiment, each of the legs  12 ,  13 , and  14  include a sliding clasp which is received in a reciprocal hole in the corresponding frame portion  7 ,  8 , and  9 . One of ordinary skill in the art will understand how the sliding clasp can lock the legs  12 ,  13 , and  14  into place and into a given configuration. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , there are depicted a cross sectional view of a leg of the plurality of legs, unfolded such that it is perpendicular to a plurality of cross members of a section of the plurality of sections ( FIG. 5A ), and a cross sectional view of the leg of the plurality of legs, folded such that it is parallel to the plurality of cross members of the section of the plurality of sections ( FIG. 5B ). In the shown embodiment, the eyelet  10  is affixed to the bench  2  (i.e., at an outer surface of the frame portion of the first section). The leg  12  is hingedly affixed to an inner surface of the frame portion of the first section. The plurality of cross members  7  is positioned such that an upper surface thereof is even with an upper surface of the frame portion. Generally, the configuration of the cross members  7  relative to the frame portion of the first section of the bench  2  is such that a space is formed within the frame portion and adjacent to the plurality of cross members  7 . If each leg  12  of the plurality of legs is folded into the space in a compact configuration  17  ( FIG. 5B ), the leg  12  is flush with the plurality of cross members  7  and does not extend past the frame portion. If each leg  12  of the plurality of legs is extended out from the space in an expanded configuration  16  ( FIG. 5A ), the leg  12  is perpendicular to the plurality of cross members  7  and extends past the frame portion. This design, which configures the legs to fold into the spaces of the frame portions and the cross sections, is shown for a single leg  12  of the first end section; in preferred embodiments, the legs of the middle section and the second end section are designed likewise. In this manner, the legs are easily folded and compacted into the frame portions for storage or transport of the bench  2 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and its embodiments with modifications as suited to the use contemplated. 
     It is therefore submitted that the present invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary embodiments. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.