Patent Description:
The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to the exercise industry and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a manually operated exercise apparatus <CIT> discloses a stand which is pivotable about a pivot axis between a vertical resting configuration for resting the apparatus on a floor, and a use configuration in which the stand is held rotated at an angle to the resting configuration namely parallel to the lever.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an exercise attachment apparatus comprising the features of claim <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus further comprises a main body sized and shaped to mount on the lever arm and wherein at least one of the mounting prong and the stand are connected or form a part of the main body.

In an embodiment of the invention, the main body has at least one aperture sized and shaped for insertion of a locking pin therethrough, to reversibly secure the main body to the lever arm.

In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one weight prong is sized and configured for the placement of weight plates thereon.

In an embodiment of the invention, the at least one weight prong is upturned.

In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus further comprises an attachment point to connect the apparatus to a user.

In an embodiment of the invention, the stand includes a handle.

In an embodiment of the invention, the stand further comprises protective pads located at the bottom of the stand and wherein the protective pads optionally are weighted to influence the pivoting performance of the stand.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is further provided a method of using an exercise attachment apparatus for squat exercise, comprising the features of claim <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises attaching a user to the apparatus at an attachment point prior to lifting.

The stand automatically rotates from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration due to counterbalancing of the stand.

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example, are not necessarily to scale, and are for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention.

The invention relates to the exercise industry and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a manually operated exercise apparatus.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth in the following description and/or illustrated in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, <FIG> is a perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The attachment apparatus <NUM> comprises at least one of a main body <NUM>, at least one mounting prong <NUM> and a stand <NUM>, in an embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, the main body <NUM> sized and shaped to mate with a Sorinex® Jammer Arm™ and/or a conventional weight rack (e.g. a Sorinex® Base Camp™ rack). The mounting prong <NUM> is used to place weights, for example weight plates such as shown in <FIG>, for performing resistance based exercises with the apparatus <NUM>. In some embodiments a pivoting stand <NUM> is used to maintain the apparatus <NUM> off the ground, and/or a lever <NUM>, described in more detail in <FIG> (lever <NUM>, also referred to herein as a lever arm or Jammer Arm™).

The attachment apparatus <NUM> is optionally a steel add-on component, that with the use of a connector, for example at least one locking pin <NUM> or bolt, will convert a regular or adjustable "Jammer" pivoting arm <NUM> to a squat-enabled exercise apparatus. The at least one locking pin <NUM> is inserted into a hole <NUM> in the lever arm <NUM>, in some embodiments. In some embodiments of the invention, the apparatus <NUM> comprises at least one mounting prong <NUM> and/or the stand <NUM>. Optionally, the at least one mounting prong <NUM> and/or the stand <NUM> connects directly to the arm <NUM>, or a lever-like structure, for example using pins, connectors, clips, or the like and/or being securely inserted directly into holes <NUM> in the lever arm <NUM> itself. Optionally, at least one of the apparatus components, such as at least one prong <NUM> and/or the stand <NUM> are formed/manufactured as a unitary part of the lever arm <NUM>. In some embodiments using the apparatus <NUM>, there is no need for a separate or integrated "deck" usually made of steel, rubber, aluminum or wood. The athlete stands and performs the lifts directly on the ground, although can add step for additional range of motion.

The apparatus <NUM> encompasses at least a single mounting prong <NUM>, optionally upturned to reduce possibility of weights <NUM> falling off during use. It also has an attachment point <NUM> (shown in more detail in <FIG>) for a hook, carabiner, handle or strap system to connect the Jammer arm <NUM> to the athlete using the apparatus <NUM>. As described elsewhere herein, the stand <NUM> is counterbalanced to fall out of a vertical configuration and into a largely horizontal configuration such as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) when the apparatus <NUM> is in use, to allow for full range of motion. In an embodiment of the invention, the stand is reengaged manually, for example by the athlete grabbing a stand handle <NUM> optionally located at or near the top of the stand <NUM> (although the handle <NUM> or handles could conceivably be located anywhere the user could conveniently grasp it during exercise), to an original starting position, which reduces range of motion required to initiate and conclude the exercise, which increases safety and convenience. Jammer Arm <NUM> can be positioned to adjust the pivot point of the entire apparatus <NUM>.

It is believed that some of the advantages of the apparatus <NUM> over conventional solutions in this industry include: a smaller footprint; no deck to step up on, trip on, or be limited by; less expensive; multiple use (re-purposing of Jammer Arms <NUM> for additional exercises); and, can be easily stored when not in use (e.g. can remove apparatus <NUM> or components of apparatus, such as weight prongs <NUM>, from the Jammer Arm <NUM> and placed in storage).

<FIG> is a side view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG>. Shown here also, is an exemplary range of movement <NUM>, either manually or by the counterbalancing, of the stand <NUM> around a pivot point <NUM> when the apparatus <NUM> is used during exercise and lifted off the ground. That is, the rotating pivot point <NUM> defines a pivot axis <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the lever arm and wherein the stand <NUM> is rotatable with respect to the lever arm <NUM> about the pivot axis.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG> installed on a lever arm <NUM> with attachment holes <NUM>, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG>, installed on a Jammer Arm (lever arm) <NUM> attached to a weight rack <NUM>, such as a Sorinex® Base Camp™ rack, optionally using an adjustable rack mount <NUM>, such as the Sorinex® Adjustable Rack Attachment Point™ available at the URL www. com/products/jammer-arms. Also shown in <FIG> is an attachment point <NUM> where a user can clip or attach to the apparatus <NUM> for commencing exercise. While the attachment point <NUM> is shown as an angled bar, it should be understood the bar could be straight, it doesn't have to fully traverse the gap (e.g. it could be two different parts extending towards each other which have a small gap between them), it could just be a hole or holes, or any other structural configuration which could act as a counterpart to an attachment mechanism between the user and the apparatus <NUM>.

<FIG> is an underside perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG> installed on a Jammer Arm <NUM>, while also showing optional protective pads <NUM> for the stand <NUM>, for when the stand <NUM> hits the ground. In some embodiments, the protective pads <NUM> can also function as balancing weights (e.g. by using heavier or lighter pads <NUM>) for at least partially controlling the counterbalancing action of the stand <NUM>. Also shown is an optional bumper <NUM> for serving as a buffer between the floor and the apparatus <NUM> during exercise, to protect both from impact during use (in case the apparatus <NUM> hits the floor).

<FIG> is a side view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG>, installed on a Jammer Arm <NUM> attached to a weight rack <NUM>, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, exercise with the apparatus <NUM> is performed by a user moving the lever arm <NUM> up and down in direction <NUM> around the pivot point <NUM> created by the mount <NUM>. It should be understood that in some embodiments of the invention, the stand <NUM> is in the horizontal configuration during exercise movement (such as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>).

<FIG> is a perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG> with weights <NUM>, installed on a Jammer Arm <NUM> attached to a weight rack <NUM>, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG> with the stand <NUM> in a rotated configuration, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Also shown is a hole <NUM> of the lever arm <NUM> aligned with an aperture <NUM> in the apparatus <NUM>, through which the pin <NUM> is inserted (when the hole <NUM> and the aperture <NUM> are aligned) to reversibly secure the apparatus <NUM> to the lever arm <NUM>. In some embodiments of the invention, there may be an additional, alternative and/or optional aperture on the other side of the apparatus <NUM>, or even on the top or bottom of the apparatus <NUM>.

<FIG> is a side view of an attachment apparatus <NUM> for squat exercise of <FIG> with the stand in a rotated configuration, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

<FIG> is a schematic view of an embodiment of the apparatus <NUM> including an embodiment of the rotating stand <NUM> in use with weights <NUM> and a generic lever arm <NUM>. It should be understood that the apparatus does not have to include a main body, such as shown in <FIG> and may optionally, comprise some components of the apparatus such as the stand <NUM> and/or at least one weight prong <NUM>, but not others. Further, as described above, apparatus <NUM> does not have be used with a lever arm <NUM> with the specific configuration shown in <FIG> and could be used with any arm and/or generic mount/connector <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> of a method of using the attachment apparatus <NUM>, <NUM> for squat exercises. In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus <NUM>, <NUM> is placed (<NUM>) on a lever arm <NUM>, <NUM> such that the lever arm is pivotably/rotatably attached to the rack <NUM> with respect to the rack. For example, using mount <NUM> as the connection. Depending on the user's desire for exercise difficulty, the user may optionally place (<NUM>) at least one weight <NUM> on at least one weight prong <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM>, <NUM>.

While the user of the apparatus could conceivably just grab the apparatus (for example, using the weight prongs <NUM> as handles), in some embodiments of the invention, the user clips (<NUM>) onto the apparatus <NUM>, or otherwise reversibly connects to the attachment <NUM>, using the attachment point <NUM>, thereby connecting the apparatus to the user, for example where the user is wearing a belt with a clip that clips onto the attachment point <NUM>. In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus <NUM> is located low on the rack <NUM>, such that when the user connects himself to the apparatus, the user is in a squatting bodily position. It should be understood, however, that the mount <NUM> enables the positioning of the lever arm <NUM>, and therefore the apparatus <NUM>, at almost any vertical position with respect to the user. The user then commences exercise, for example by standing up from the squatting position and lifting (<NUM>) the apparatus in an upwards direction (in relation to the floor). As described elsewhere herein, the stand <NUM> is counterbalanced such that when the user stands up and lifts the apparatus <NUM>, <NUM> sufficiently so that the stand <NUM> is no longer abutting the floor, the stand <NUM> rotates (<NUM>) from the substantially vertical positon shown in <FIG>, inter alia, to the substantially position shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Optionally, the user manually rotates the stand to the horizontal position. Optionally, exercise can be performed without the stand <NUM> rotating (remaining substantially vertical), for example if the mount <NUM> is moved higher on the rack <NUM>. In an embodiment of the invention, the user continues (<NUM>) exercise, optionally repeating the standing up and squatting down movements (i.e. known as "squats") until the user is satisfied with the amount of exercise performed. In some embodiments of the invention, the user then rotates (<NUM>) the stand <NUM> from the substantially horizontal position back to the substantially vertical position to allow the lever arm <NUM> and apparatus <NUM>, <NUM> to be supported by the floor through the stand <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An exercise attachment apparatus (<NUM>, <NUM>) for attachment to or including a lever arm (<NUM>) pivotably connected to an exercise rack (<NUM>), comprising
at least one mounting prong (<NUM>) for mounting at least one weight (<NUM>),
a counterbalanced stand (<NUM>) pivotably attached to the apparatus (<NUM>) or lever arm (<NUM>) comprising a pivot point (<NUM>) defining a pivot axis (<NUM>) substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the lever arm (<NUM>),
and wherein the stand (<NUM>) is rotatable about the pivot axis (<NUM>) between a vertical resting configuration for resting the apparatus (<NUM>) on a floor, and a use configuration in which the stand (<NUM>) is automatically rotated at an angle to the resting configuration.