Patent Publication Number: US-7588522-B2

Title: Ball and frame exercising apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/130,999, filed May 17, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,548. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The benefits of exercising on a resilient ball as a fitness tool are well known. The ball is one of the most enjoyable, affordable and versatile exercise tools available. It has been used with low level neurological patients, rehabilitation, acute pain patients as well as with healthy school children and world class athletes. Exercising on the ball can be used by all ages from toddlers to seniors and adapted for use with groups of different abilities. The exercise concept is that movement on the ball changes the center of gravity of the user and causes the user&#39;s abdominal core muscles to tighten automatically to maintain balance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to exercising apparatus for improving the user&#39;s flexibility, balance, and body strength. As a centerpiece, a resilient ball is used to support the user&#39;s body weight in a sitting position. The ball is free standing and positioned in the center of a frame which captures and contains the ball, but with space provided so that the ball is free to move laterally or horizontally within the frame in response to the user&#39;s exercise motions. The ball has universal movement within the frame. The user&#39;s legs, waist, back, arms and head are all free to move for a full body workout. The user sits on the ball, like sitting in a chair. The frame may have arms to be used for stability, to maintain balance and for getting up and out of the exercising apparatus. Combining a chair-like frame or a surrounding frame with a ball makes it easier for the user to workout on the ball and maintain stability. The ball may be normally supported centrally with respect to the frame by a plurality of elastic members such as elastic rubber cords or straps or by a concaved surface. The combination of the ball and frame provides for a larger spectrum of users and age groups and for an expanded, safer way to exercise on the ball. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of exercising apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a section taken generally on the line  44  of  FIG. 3 , but without the ball shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a second embodiment of exercising apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 , but without a ball shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a section of the frame with the ball, taken generally on the line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a third embodiment of exercising apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the exercising apparatus shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a lower portion of exercising apparatus without the ball and constructed in accordance with a modification of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  and showing another modification; 
         FIG. 12  is a section taken on the line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11  and showing a lower portion of the ball; and 
         FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 11  and showing a further modification of the apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exercising apparatus  10  includes a chair-like frame  12  having rigidly connected frame members including side arm rails  13 , a back rail  14 , lower frame members  16  and vertical legs or frame members  18 , all of which may be rigid tubes of plastic or metal. The arm rails  13  and back rail  14  support resilient foam cylindrical pads  22  and  24 , respectively, to provide arm and back cushions. The frame  12  also includes socket couplings  32  releasably connecting the frame members to facilitate storage and shipping of the frame  12 . An inflatable and resilient exercising ball  40  is confined within the frame  12  which forms an oversize enclosure for the ball  40 . The ball is centered within the frame  12  by the centering means or members, for example, in the form of at least two elastic cords  42  connected to front and rear parallel frame members  16  by wire formed eyelets or hooks  43  and wire loops  44 . The cords  42  and wire formed hooks  43  are of the conventional type such as a “Bungee Cord”, but the hooks may be made so that an end portion of the wire extends into a hole within the frame members  16 , thereby eliminating the need for the loops  44 . 
     The user sits on the ball  40  which engages the floor F and supports the entire body weight of the user. By moving the body around, such as by lifting legs and holding arms out one at a time, the body movement on the ball changes the body center of gravity and causes the abdominal core muscles to tighten automatically to maintain balance. This form of exercise results in an increase in strength, flexibility and balance. The user may steady himself or herself by holding on to the upper side frame members or arm rails  13 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show the top and side views of the apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  illustrates that the ball  40  is surrounded by the frame  12  which is open in the front to allow the user to enter the apparatus and sit on the ball  40 .  FIG. 4  is a section showing the ball centering means in the form of two of the parallel spaced elastic rubber cords  42 , which may be covered by tubular fabric. As mentioned above, the cords  42  have end portions attached by the hooks  43  to loops or rings  44  secured to the lower members  16  of the frame  12 . The ball  40  is placed by the user in the chair frame  12 , and the ball rests on the elastic cords  42 . As the weight of the ball  40  depresses the elastic cords  42 , the ball  40  moves to its lowest point, and the cords  42  center the ball  40  within the frame  12 . After the user sits on the ball, the ball moves down and is supported by the floor F. 
       FIGS. 5-7  show another embodiment of exercise apparatus  50  constructed in accordance with the invention and which includes a circular tubular frame  52  supported by a set of four tubular legs  54  secured to the frame. The ball  40  is supported concentrically within the circular frame  52  by a set of four radially extending elastic straps or rubber cords  56  which have outer end portions connected to the frame  52  by the wire formed hooks  43  and loops  44  secured to the frame. The cords  56  have inner end portions connected by the wire formed hooks  43  to a circular center tray or pad  58  preferably formed of a flexible plastics sheet material or a woven fabric material. The elastic cords  56  and pad  58  cooperate to center the ball  40  normally within the surrounding circular frame  52 . When a person or user sits on the ball  40 , the elastic cords  56  stretch until the ball  40  and supporting center pad  58  contact the floor F, as shown in  FIG. 7 . The cords  56  and pad  58  provide for limited lateral rolling movement of the ball  40  within the annular space defined between the ball  40  and the frame  52 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9  which show another embodiment, an exercising apparatus  70  is constructed with a tubular metal or plastic frame  72  which also extends around the ball  40 . The frame includes an upper U-shaped section  74  and a lower U-shaped section  76  which are rigidly connected by forward or front U-shaped sections  78 , lower straight or linear sections  82  and upper straight or linear sections  84 . The tubular sections are releasably connected together by sliding telescopic end portions or couplings which form joints  86 . That is, some of the frame sections have a reduced end portion which telescopes into an opposing end portion of an adjacent section with a light press fit to form the rigid frame  72 . The frame  72  has generally a wedge or V-shaped configuration with the bottom portion being horizontal and the upper portion being inclined. A set of resilient legs or pads  88  are secured to the end portions of the sections  76  and  78  to support the lower portion of the frame  72  spaced above the floor F, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     A pair of parallel spaced elastic or rubber straps or cords  42  have opposite end portions connected to the parallel linear sections  82  of the frame  72  by the wire formed hooks  43  and loops  44  secured to the frame sections  82 . The cords  42  center the ball  40  laterally and also forwardly and rearwardly within the frame  72  on the floor F, as shown in  FIG. 9 . When a person or user sits on the ball  40 , the cords  42  stretch until the bottom of the ball contacts or is supported by the floor. While the elastic cords  42  normally center the ball  40  within the frame  72 , the cords  42  permit the ball to roll laterally, forwardly or rearwardly or horizontally in a universal manner in response to movement of the user&#39;s body. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the lower portion of a modified frame  12 ′ includes horizontal tubular rails or frame members  16 ′ rigidly connected by three socket corner fittings or couplings  92  each of which also receives a vertical leg or frame member  18 ′ and is supported by a foot member  93 . The fittings or couplings  92  may be permanently connected to the horizontal frame member  16 ′, for example, by cement or cross pins or rivets, and the vertical frame members  18 ′ are removably connected to the couplings  92 . Two pairs of crossing elastic cords  42  are connected to the frame  12 ′ with each pair of cords  42  having its end hooks  43  attached to parallel spaced frame member  16 ′. End portions of the hooks  43  extend into corresponding holes formed within the frame members  16 ′ to provide for conveniently attaching the end hooks without the wire loops  44 , as mentioned above. 
     One pair or two pair of the elastic cords  42  cooperate to center the ball  40  within the frame  12 ′, and a flexible fabric panel  95  extends under the cords  42  and has opposite hem portions  98  which receive parallel spaced horizontal frame members  16 ′. The fabric panel  95  has notches or cutouts  99  for receiving the hooks  43  and drapes under the cords  42  so that the mid portion of the panel touches the floor and is not supporting the weight of the user when the user is sitting on the ball  40 . In the event the user becomes overactive and starts to tip the frame  12 ′ over by pulling up on an arm rail or member  13 , the frame  12 ′ will pick up from the floor, and the fabric panel  95  resists further tipping. The fabric panel  95  has a plastic coating to provide for convenient cleaning and also protects the fitness ball  40  from any sharp object on the floor or supporting surface. 
     Another modified frame  12 ″ is shown in  FIGS. 11-13  and wherein the horizontal frame members  16 ′ are rigidly connected by four socket rear fittings or couplings  102  and three socket T-shaped front fittings or couplings  104 , with all of the fittings or couplings  102  and  104  receiving the vertical legs or frame members  18 ′. The vertical legs or frame members  18 ′ project downwardly through the couplings  102  and  104  to provide bottom end feet portions which elevate the horizontal frame member  16 ′ from the floor surface. The front horizontal frame member  16 ′ is also recessed rearwardly from the front vertical frame members  18 ′ by another pair of fittings or couplings  104  to provide more space or freedom for the user&#39;s feet and to facilitate transfer of the user to and from a wheel chair. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 11 &amp; 12 , the horizontal side frame rails or members  16 ′ support a rigid platform or panel  110  which may be formed of a molded rigid plastics material. The panel  110  is removably attached to the side frame members  16 ′ by inverted U-shaped brackets  112  rigidly secured to the panel  110 . Preferably, the panel  110  has a part-spherical or slightly concaved top surface  115  which automatically self-centers the fitness ball  40  when the ball is not being used. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the rigid platform or panel  110  (FIG.  13 ) with a freely rotatable turntable  118  which may be recessed within the panel  110  and/or may have a slightly concaved top surface. In each of the modifications shown in  FIGS. 10-13 , the flexible panel  95  or rigid panel  110  and the lower horizontal front and rear frame members  16 ′ may be preassembled for shipping, and inverted U-shaped arm members having the vertical legs or frame members  18 ′ may be assembled by the purchaser or user along with the horizontal back or rear frame member  14 , shown in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 . The vertical legs or frame members  18 ′ are inserted into the fittings or couplings  92  or  102  and  104  and secured by spring-biased retractable pins or self-tapping screws threaded into aligned holes within the members. 
     While the forms of exercising apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.