Abstract:
A folding collapsible exercising machine includes a base frame that can rock on the floor and is provided with a seat pad, two damping spring members adjustably mounted in the base frame for adjusting damping resistance to the base frame during operation of the exercising machine to rock the base frame on the floor, a T-shaped leg extension bar pivoted to the base frame and locked in the operative position with a detachable lock screw, and a collapsible handlebar provided at the top side of the T-shaped leg extension bar.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to exercising machines and more particularly, to a folding collapsible exercising machine practical for exercising sit-up and legs press to exercise the muscles of the legs and the abdomen. 
     FIGS. 1˜3  show a conventional sit-up exercising machine  8 . This exercising machine is still not satisfactory in function because of the following drawbacks: 
   1. The first support bar  81  and the second support bar  82  are set close to each other and the first support bar  81  can only be turned outwards (see  FIG. 2 ). Therefore, this design of exercising machine is limited to sit-up exercise, not practical for back-bend or other exercises. Further, when the first support bar  81  is turned outwards, the machine requires much space. 
   2. This machine does not allow the user to adjust the damping resistance to fit different users. 
   3. Because the first support bar  81  is a curved bar, it is inconvenient and requires much effort to hold the first support bar  81  in position such that the pivot hole  811  at one end of the first support bar  81  is aligned between two opposite pivot holes  8011  and  8012  at an upright lug  801  at the base frame  80  of the exercising machine  8  for the mounting of a pivot pin  802 . 
   4. After each use, the user must turn the first support bar  81  outwards to get free from the constraint of the machine. 
   Therefore, it is desirable to provide an exercising machine that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. 
   The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a folding collapsible exercising machine, which is practical for exercising various exercises including sit-up, leg-lift, and back-bend. It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding collapsible exercising machine, which is convenient in use and allows the user to leave after exercise without changing the arrangement of the machine. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a folding collapsible exercising machine, which is adjustable to provide different damping resistance to fit different requirements. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the folding collapsible exercising machine comprises a base frame that can rock on the floor and is provided with a seat pad, two damping spring members adjustably mounted in the base frame for adjusting damping resistance to the base frame during operation of the exercising machine to rock the base frame on the floor, a T-shaped leg extension bar vertically provided at the rear side of the base frame for supporting the user&#39;s legs during exercise, and a collapsible handlebar provided at the top side of the T-shaped leg extension bar. Further, the T-shaped leg extension bar is pivoted to the base frame and locked in the operative position with a detachable lock screw. After removal of the lock screw, the T-shaped leg extension bar and the handlebar can be received to the base frame to save storage space. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a sit-up exercising machine according to the prior art. 
       FIG. 2  corresponds to  FIG. 1 , showing the first support bar turned outwards. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the sit-up exercising machine according to the prior art. 
       FIG. 4  is an oblique front elevation of a folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an oblique rear elevation of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged scale of a part of the present invention, showing the bottom structure of the base frame of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is another enlarged view of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  corresponds to  FIG. 7  but showing the position of the damping spring member adjusted. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing showing the folding operation of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is an elevational view of the present invention, showing the folding collapsible exercising machine collapsed. 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic drawing showing an operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic drawing showing another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 13  is a schematic drawing showing still another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic drawing showing still another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic drawing showing still another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 16  is a schematic drawing showing still another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 17  is a schematic drawing showing still another operation status of the folding collapsible exercising machine according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4˜8 , a folding collapsible exercising machine in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a base frame  1 , a headrest  2  (see also  FIGS. 10 and 11 ), a seat pad  3 , two damping spring members  4 , a leg extension bar  5 , and a handlebar  6 . 
   The base frame  1  comprises a front frame bar  11 , two side frame bars  12  respectively extending from the two distal ends of the front frame bar  11  at right angles and arranged in parallel, each side frame bar  12  having the respective free end terminating in a smoothly arched endpiece  121 , a rear frame bar  13  connected between the two side frame bars  12  on the middle (see  FIG. 6 ), two rails  10  respectively fastened to the side frame bars  12  with the bottom side  101  of each of the rails  10  kept in flush with the bottom side  120  of each of the side frame bars  12  for supporting the exercising machine on the floor, each rail  10  defining a sliding groove  102  for receiving the damping spring members  4 , and an upright support  17  upwardly extending from the front frame bar  11  on the middle. The upright support  17  has two sidewalls  171 , a front wall  172  connected between the two sidewalls  171 , and a screw hole  1720  formed in the front wall  172 . 
   The seat pad  3  has the rear bottom side thereof fixedly fastened to the rear frame bar  13  of the base frame  1  with fastening elements  131 , the front bottom side thereof fixedly fastened to one end  311  of each of a plurality of angle plates  31  with a respective fastening element  33 . The other end  312  of each of the angle plates  31  is respectively fixedly connected to the front frame bar  11  of the base frame  1 . Therefore, the seat pad  3  is supported on the base frame  1  in a backward sloping position. After installation of the seat pad  3  in the base frame  1 , gaps  14  and  15  are defined between the front side of the seat pad  3  and the front frame bar  11  and between the two opposite lateral sides of the seat pad  3  and the two side frame bars  12 . 
   The damping spring members  4  can be made of resilient steel material or glass fibers and are respectively slidably mounted in the sliding grooves  102  of the rails  10  (see  FIGS. 6 and 7 ), each having handle  43  fixedly fastened to the front end  41  thereof with a fastening element  42 . The handles  43  of the damping spring members  4  respectively extend through the gaps  15  between the two opposite lateral sides of the seat pad  3  and the two side frame bars  12  of the base frame  1 . When moved the damping spring members  4  toward the rear side of the exercising machine (see  FIG. 8 ), the front ends  41  of the damping spring members  4  are respectively extended out of the respective sliding grooves  102  of the rails  10 . 
   The leg extension bar  5  is a substantially T-shaped bar comprising a vertical shaft  51  and a horizontal shaft  52 . The vertical shaft  51  has the bottom end  510  pivotally connected to the upright support  17  of the base frame  1  with a pivot  170  for enabling the leg extension bar  5  to be turned relative to the base frame  1  between the operative position shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  where the leg extension bar  5  extends upwards from the base frame  1  and the non-operative position shown in  FIG. 10  where the leg extension bar  5  is closely attached with the handlebar  6  to the seat pad  3  and the base frame  1 . The bottom end  510  of the vertical shaft  51  is also provided with a locating hole  511  below the pivot  170 . The threaded shank  501  of a lock screw  50  may be threaded into the screw hole  1720  in the front wall  172  of the upright support  17  and the locating hole  511  of the vertical shaft  51  to lock the leg extension bar  5  in the operative position. The other end, namely, the top end of the vertical shaft  51  is fixedly connected to the midpoint of the horizontal shaft  52 . The horizontal shaft  52  has a front lug  53  on the middle and two cylindrical cushions  520  wrapping about the periphery of two ends  521  for supporting the user&#39;s legs comfortably. 
   The handlebar  6  is a substantially T-shaped bar comprising a longitudinal rod  61  and a transverse rod  63 . The longitudinal rod  61  is perpendicularly extending from the midpoint of the transverse rod  63  and terminates in a coupling portion  611 , which is pivotally connected to the front lug  53  of the horizontal shaft  52  of the leg extension bar  5  with a pivot  531 . The transverse rod  63  is covered with two cylindrical cushions  64 , having two ends  631  respectively extended out of the cylindrical cushions  64  for the holding of the hands. When installed, the handlebar  6  can be turned relative to the leg extension bar  5  between the operative position shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  where the handlebar  6  extends obliquely upwards and supported on a middle part  522  of the horizontal shaft  52 , and the non-operative position shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  where the handlebar  6  is closely attached to the leg extension bar  5 . 
   When in use, the folding collapsible exercising machine can be placed on a mattress  7  on the floor, and then the user can sit on the seat pad  3  (see  FIG. 11 ) with the legs rested on the cylindrical cushions  520  and the hands holding the ends  631  of the transverse rod  63  of the handlebar  6 , and then the user can turn the upper part of the body backwards and lie the back on the mattress  7  to rock the base frame  1  (see  FIGS. 11˜14 ), or to perform sit-up exercise (see  FIGS. 15 and 16 ), so as to train the muscles of the legs, chest and abdomen. Further, the headrest  2  can be put on the mattress  7  for supporting the user&#39;s head during exercise. Further, through the handles  43 , the user can pull the damping spring members  4  out of the sliding grooves  102  of the respective rails  10  to the desired distance (see  FIG. 8 ) to adjust the damping resistance to the rocking of the smoothly arched endpieces  121  of the side frame bars  12  of the base frame  1  over the floor. Further, the user can rest the legs on the cylindrical cushions  520  of the leg extension bar  5  and holds the smoothly arched endpieces  121  of the side frame bars  12  of the base frame  1  with the hands, and then exercise back-band. 
   When not in use, the handlebar  6  is turned forwardly downwards and received to the leg extension bar  5 , and then the lock screw  50  is removed from the vertical shaft  51  of the leg extension bar  5  and the upright support  17  of the base frame  1  (see  FIG. 9 ), and then the handlebar  6  with the leg extension bar  5  are turned forwardly downwards and closely attached to the seat pad  3  and the base frame  1 , and then the headrest  2  is put on the seat pad  3  between the cylindrical cushions  64  of the handlebar  6  and the cylindrical cushions  520  of the leg extension bar  5  (see  FIG. 10 ). 
   Although a particular embodiment of the present invention has been described in detailed for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.