Abstract:
A chiropractic exerciser device designed to permit a person to hang upside-down from the waist or hips. The chiropractic exerciser consists of three main parts or elements that include handles, a main body including a hang bar, and an upright hang-bar. The first element are handles connected to a step-up bar and inner legs which facilitate additional stretching and exercising positions. The step-up bar feature allows individuals of any height to use the device. The second element is the main body or base, which includes the hang bar that permits a person to hang upside down. The third element is the upright hang-bar which is designed for pull-ups and hanging thereby allowing the vertebrae to straighten and re-align. The upright hang-bar can be used as a static upright hang-bar permitting standard chin-ups, or it can be used with a spring mechanism.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/136,234, filed May 26, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a dual chiropractic and exercising device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The prior art teaches numerous devices for suspending a person upside down in order to stretch the spinal column and back muscles. The vast majority of prior art devices, however, suspend the person upside-down by their feet or ankles which may place undue burden on their lower legs, knees and ankles. Also, these devices do not position the spinal column in the most beneficial position. When a person hangs from their feet, ankles or lower legs, the back tends to arch backwards; optimum chiropractic effect is achieved, however, when the back is arched forward as provided for in the present invention. 
     The devices taught in the prior art also tend to be overly bulky and take up a great deal of space. Combining suspension or hanging devices with other exercise functions is rare, except with children&#39;s jungle gym equipment and the like. The present invention is both space saving and versatile. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,972 issued to Goyer on Oct. 15, 1985, shows a two-position support structure for enabling a tiltable body exerciser to be tilted about a first or a second horizontally extending pivot axis. The support structure includes an A-frame stand and a tiltable exercise structure that operate to suspend a person by their ankles and feet upside-down. The tiltable body exerciser of Goyer suspends a user by their lower legs which places excessive stress on the knees of the users. The exercise apparatus of the current invention does not place any undue force on the lower legs of the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,682 issued to Miller on Mar. 5, 1985, discloses a full body weight traction device for rotating a human into inverted posture. The apparatus of Miller has a tilt bed which supports the body until tilted, whereupon the body is fully suspended from ankles and feet upside-down, thus placing strain on the knees of the users. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,148 issued to Brewer on Jan. 5, 1988, describes a therapeutic exercise apparatus having a frame and a bed device which is pivotally mounted with respect to the frame. The bed is pivotable between an upwardly inclined position for enabling a person to get on and off the bed device, and a downwardly inclined position for enabling a person to hang with their head lower than their feet. The therapeutic exercise apparatus also has a saddle and a rowing device which is mounted on the bed, and which is pivotable backwards and forwards by a person seated on the saddle to simulate a rowing action. While the apparatus shown in Brewer allows for a backwards leaning of the body with the feet above the head, it does not dangle the body above the ground and does not permit the upper body to hang freely. Unlike the present invention, the device shown in Brewer supports the upper body on a bed like structure in a reclined position at all times. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,937 issued to Kwo on Sep. 3, 1996, discloses an exercise device having a frame, a back rest set and al leg pressing rod. The apparatus shown in Kwo pivots to allow the human body to fully hang upside-down from the ankles. Unlike the present invention, the device shown by Kwo provides for the entire weight of the body to be born by the lower leg, thereby placing the entire burden on the knees. 
     FIGS. 1 through 20 in Japanese Patent No. 6-182000, issued in June of 1994, depict an apparatus designed to suspend a human upside down from his feet. This apparatus contains a bed-like structure and pulley apparatus which lifts the prone human into an upside-down position. This apparatus seems to place the entire strain of the body weight on the feet and ankles. This apparatus is apparently not designed for exercising and the like, but for relaxation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,956 issued to Pobran on Aug. 21, 1990, describes a pull-up exercise apparatus comprising a transverse bar, wherein the transverse bar has 45° elbows at each end and a chain extending through the transverse bar. The chain is attached to the ceiling by hooks so that the bar hangs from the ceiling. The device has three sets of hand grips for grasping the device to perform pull-ups. A human could potentially hang upside down by the inside of their knees from the bar. However, this acrobatic movement would require a lot of effort and athletic maneuverability on part of the human body. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards a combined chiropractic and exercising device which is designed to permit a person to hang, stretching the skeletal system in the neck, back and hips, in a variety of ways. The term “person(s)” as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, children, adults, senior citizens or individuals who have not had surgeries or other medical complications. Individuals having a history of medical problems should preferably consult with a physician prior to using the chiropractic and exercising device. The chiropractic exerciser has the additional function of an upright hang-bar that has multiple manifestations. The upright hang-bar can be used as a static pull-up bar permitting standard chin-ups and other hanging exercises, or it can be used with a spring mechanism. The device is intended to improve and eliminate a variety of physical conditions involving the skeletal, nerve and muscle area of the neck and hips by permitting a person to exercise and stretch while hanging upside down. 
     There are three main parts or elements to the chiropractic exerciser: handles, a main body including a hang bar, and an upright hang-bar. The first element are the handles, connected to a step-up bar and inner legs, that facilitate additional stretching and exercising positions. The step-up bar feature allows individuals of any height to use the device. The second element is the main body or base, which includes the hang bar that permits a person to hang upside down. The third element is the upright hang-bar which is designed for pull-ups and hanging thereby allowing the vertebrae to straighten and re-align. The upright hang-bar consists of both hard (without a spring) and soft (with a spring) attachments. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a convenient apparatus to permit a person to comfortably hang upside-down from the waist in a relaxing manner. 
     It is another object of the invention to facilitate the realignment of the spine of a person by counteracting the effect of gravity by permitting a person to hang upside-down. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a convenient upright hang-bar for exercise. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide an easily assembled and portable chiropractic exerciser which can be utilized at home, in fitness centers, gymnasiums, senior citizen centers, schools, colleges or offices and the like. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an environmental view of a chiropractic exerciser according to the present invention, and a person shown in phantom. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the base of the chiropractic exerciser according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a removable upright addition to the base of the chiropractic exerciser according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the upright addition with a upright hang-bar attached by a spring. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upright addition with the upright hang-bar attached directly to the upright. 
     FIG. 6 is an environmental view of a person shown in phantom hanging over the main body and hang bar of the chiropractic exerciser according to the present invention. 
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a stand alone chiropractic exerciser device generally referred to in the Figure as  10 . FIG. 1 also depicts a person P, shown in phantom lines, grasping the upright hang-bar  36  in order to perform a pull-up. The base unit, also referred to herein as the main body, generally referred to as  11 , is the primary aspect of the invention, and the upright, generally referred to as  31 , is an additional removable element. The base unit  11  is used for many of the hanging exercises provided for by the exerciser, such as shown in FIG. 6 where a person P, shown in phantom lines, is hanging over a hanging bar  24  bent at the waist or pelvis with his weight being supported by the hips and upper thighs. The upright  31  is added to the main body  11  to provide the support for the upright hang-bar  36 , which expands the chiropractic and exercise capabilities of the device  10 . The total height of the invention fully assembled is preferably eighty-four inches. (It will be understood that the recitation of dimensions in this specification is for illustrative purposes only; actual dimensions may vary.) 
     The construction of the base unit  11 , as depicted in the exploded view of FIG. 2, is sturdy and allows for various hanging exercises. The base unit  11  is preferably made mainly of steel, aluminum, or metal strength plastic tubing. The base unit  11  includes a front right leg  14  that is a mirror image of the front left leg  13 . The base unit  11  also contains a rear left leg  12  and a rear right leg  15 . Each leg has a top portion and a bottom portion, and each leg is preferably constructed of 44″×2″×1″ steel, aluminum or metal strength plastic tubing. The bottom portion of the front right leg  14  is connected to the bottom portion of the front right leg  13  by a step-up bar  23 , which fits through holes or apertures  27  in the bottom portion of each of the two front legs. 
     A right handle  22  and a left handle  21 , also mirror images of one another, each include a short cylindrical rod integral with a flat, tapered or arched strut having a pair of hooks on a side edge. The bottom portion of the handle struts extends through slits defined in the step-up bar, and the hooks and the ends of the step-up bar are inserted into the slots  28  and holes  27  located on the bottom portion of the two front legs. Optionally, handle grips  39  fit over the handles as shown in FIG.  2 . Hence the handles  21  and  22  help to retain the step-up bar  23  between the front legs  13  and  14 . The handles  21  and  22  extend the functionality of the chiropractic exerciser  10 , permitting exercises to be performed by gripping the handles in a sitting or legs stretched out position with the back to the base unit  11 , using arm strength to support the trunk of the body and stretching the back and hip areas. The step-up bar  23  is preferably made of a 25¾″ long×1½″ diameter steel, aluminum, or metal strength plastic tube pipe. Ribbed leg pads  20  are inserted in the bottommost region of each of the four legs ( 12 - 15 ) to prevent the chiropractic exerciser  10  from slipping and sliding while in use. The ribbed leg pads  20  also protect the floor that the chiropractic exerciser  10  is sitting on, preventing the floor from becoming scuffed up and the like. 
     The top portion of each of the four legs has a generally U-shaped cutout  29 . The hang-bar  24  is a cylindrical rod which is preferably made of a 25¾″ long×1½″ diameter steel, aluminum, or metal strength plastic tube pipe. The hang-bar  24  includes four cams or keys  30  which project radially from the bar  24  and are aligned linearly, two cams  30  being disposed at each of the opposing ends of the hang-bar  24 . The hang-bar  24  is placed in the U-shaped cutouts  29  of each leg as shown in FIG.  2 . The hang-bar  24  may include an annular flange at each end of the bar  24  to preclude the legs  12 - 15  from sliding along the bar  24 . 
     The hang-bar  24  is retained in the U-shaped slots  29  by a plurality of inserts  16 - 19 . Into the U-shaped cutout  29  of the rear left leg  12  is placed the rear left insert  16 , as shown. Likewise, into the U-shaped cutout  29  of the rear right leg  15  is placed the rear right insert  19 . The rear left insert  16  and the rear right insert  19  are mirror images of one another. Each of the inserts  16  and  19  has a slot defined therein dimensioned to slide the insert  16  or  19  over the hang-bar  24 , and a radial cutout or keyway at the end of the slot for receiving the cam  30  and permitting the cam  30 , and therefore the leg  12  or  15 , to rotate through an arc defined by the radial cutout. Into the U-shaped cutout  29  of the front left leg  13  is placed the front left insert  18 , as shown. Likewise, into the U-shaped cutout  29  of the front right leg  14  is placed the front right insert  17 . The front left insert  18  and the front right insert  17  are mirror images of one another. Each of the inserts  18  and  17  has a slot defined therein dimensioned to slide the insert  18  or  17  over the hang-bar  24 , and a radial cutout or keyway at the end of the slot for receiving the cam  30  and permitting the cam  30 , and therefore the leg  13  or  14 , to rotate through an arc defined by the radial cutout. The radial cutout defined in the inserts  16  and  19  are oriented in a direction opposite to the orientation of the radial cutouts defined in the inserts  17  and  18 , so that the front legs  13  and  14  may be rotated about the hang-bar  24  in a direction opposite to the rotation of the rear legs  12  and  15  about the hang-bar  24  in order to spread the legs of the base  11 . 
     The inserts ( 16 - 19 ) fit over the hang-bar  24  as shown in FIG. 2, and hold it in place. The inserts ( 16 - 19 ) also hold the legs in their position relative to one another, as demonstrated in FIG.  2 . The inserts ( 16 - 19 ) allow each leg to open or close to an exact position because of the cams  30  located on the hang-bar  24 . Each insert ( 16 - 19 ) preferably has the general dimension of 7″×1¾″×¾″. Preferably, the total height of the base unit  11  is forty inches, and the width of the work area is twenty-four inches. 
     The hang-bar  24  ideally has a comfort pad  25 , which is preferably a hollow cylindrical padded material that the hang-bar  24  can fit through as shown in FIGS. 1-2. The comfort pad  25  is preferably eighteen inches by three inches in dimensions. On either side of the comfort pad  25 , there are two slits  26  located in the hang-bar  24  designed to receive the steel stabilization plates  33  (shown in FIG. 3) of the upright  31 , wherein the upright  31  is removably connected to the hang-bar  24 . The steel stabilization plates  33  fit into the bottom portion of the upright legs  32 , and are preferably permanently welded into place on the upright legs  32 . The steel stabilization plates  33  are preferably made of 3″×1¾″×¼″ steel plate, wherein the 1¾″ dimension tapers to about 1″, to roughly form a wedge-like shape, as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     The top portion of the upright legs  32  are welded to the bottom portion of the upright base post  34  in a trident pattern with an approximately forty-five degree angle between the two upright legs  32 . The upright base  34  is preferably made of steel, aluminum, or metal strength plastic tubing which is 5½×2″×1″ in dimensions, and the upright legs  32  are preferably made of 31″×2″×1″ steel, aluminum, or metal strength plastic tubing. The upright hook  35  is inserted into the top portion of the upright base  34 . The total height of the upright  31 , when assembled, is preferably forty-four inches. The upright hook  35  is preferably made of ½″ steel rod that has been bent to form a generally S-shaped hook that protrudes a total of four inches outward from the upright base  34 . 
     The upright hang-bar  36  can be hooked directly to the upright hook  35  as shown in FIG. 5, or it can be hung from a spring  37 , wherein the spring  37  hangs from the upright hook  35  as shown in FIG.  4 . The upright hang-bar  36  is preferably 13″×¾″ and made from steel rod, and has a loop in the middle as shown FIGS. 4-5. optionally, upright hang-bar handle grips  38  may be placed on the ends of the upright hang-bar to protect the hands. The spring  37  is preferably one of several interchangeable heavy duty industrial style springs of various gauges, strengths, and spring constants, the selection of the spring  37  depending upon the weight of the user. 
     A series of stretching and exercising techniques intended to improve and eliminate a variety of physical conditions involving the skeletal, nerve and muscle areas of the neck, back and hips have been designed for use with the present invention. This invention, when used regularly, improves conditions related to dislocated skeletal structure and vertebrae, pinched nerves, neck pains and other aches and ailments. Stretching and exercising with the apparatus of the present invention also enhances overall physical health and strength in the neck, back, abdomen, legs and arms. 
     Hanging upside-down is very beneficial for the spine and relaxes the muscles in the back. Exercises that permit the body to hang from the waist provide a stretching of the back muscles and a relaxing of the spinal cord. Unnecessary torque or stress is not placed on the ankles, feet or knees. The back and pelvis are properly aligned in a natural position rather than the pelvis being thrust forward as occurs when hanging from the ankles. By having the body assume an upside-down sitting position, the chiropractic exerciser results in much less pressure from blood rushing to the head. Also, since the person&#39;s body is not strapped into the apparatus of the current invention, the user has greater control and can quit when they wish without the aid of anyone else. 
     Hanging upside-down, in the manner utilized by the present invention, permits the spinal column to realign itself after being compressed by gravity. As a person walks, stands or sits upright the spinal column becomes compressed and misaligned causing the back to ache. This spinal compression also reduces the height of a person gradually as they age. Hanging or stretching, in this manner, reverses the effects of bone displacement and collapse, caused by gravity, and the constant pounding of the skeletal structure from a variety of activity. When a person exercises using the chiropractic exerciser regularly, the normal collapsing of the skeletal structure, especially the vertebrae, caused by gravity and the impact of everyday life is slowed drastically or even reversed. 
     As people age, they tend to develop the middle age spread and their appearance becomes thick. In time, this leads to a pot belly. These physical changes are frequently due to the collapsing effect of the vertebrae, and padded discs between them, brought on by the constant, downward pressure of body weight from the head down as a result of gravity. The shortening of the human body results in the belly area becoming protruded. Daily exercises, using the present invention, slows and can even reverse the effects of skeletal compression. Hanging upside-down, while performing simple and easy stretches and exercises, allows the bones in the neck, back and hips to relax and return to their natural state. This relaxation in turn helps the body maintain a trim, streamlined appearance. 
     Hanging upside-down, in this manner, permits nutrients and blood to flow more freely to otherwise restricted areas of the body. This, in turn, reduces and eliminates stiffness in the neck, back and hip areas. Furthermore, yawning and stretching are nature&#39;s way of getting needed oxygen and blood circulating. The exercises used with the chiropractic exerciser are much more efficient than yawning and stretching in getting needed oxygen and blood circulating. Thus, when the chiropractic exerciser is used regularly yawning and stretching ceases except in extreme stages of sleepiness. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.