Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/620,976, filed Oct. 21, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention is generally related to an apparatus for safely facilitating stretching exercises and rehabilitation. More particularly, the invention is directed to a stretching apparatus that allows stretching of a wide variety of muscle groups without undue stress.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0003]     A physically fit person is defined by a combination of strength, endurance, and flexibility. Many individuals concentrate on strength and endurance by engaging in activities such as weight lifting and jogging, but ignore the need to be flexible. However, it is widely recognized by experts in the field that stretching prior to commencing an exercise regimen is of paramount importance to reduce the likelihood of exercise related injuries. Furthermore, lack of flexibility can lead to problems with the lower back, etc., as a person ages.  
         [0004]     Stretching is also an important part of any physical therapy regimen practiced by patients undergoing physical rehabilitation following an accident or illness, as well as patients seeking relief from common ailments such as back pain. This type of therapy is commonly supervised by a highly trained physical therapist, and may be conducted in a hospital setting or at the patient&#39;s home. Paraplegic and quadriplegic patients must also have their limbs stretched on a regular basis to avoid further medical complications. For severely impaired patients, the therapist must maneuver the patient&#39;s limbs through a full range of motion while at the same time being careful not to force or over stretch the muscles.  
         [0005]     Traditionally, pre-exercise, post-exercise, as well as therapeutic stretching exercises, are performed on the floor using a simple floor mat, or by hanging from a bar. In a typical floor stretching exercise, a person sits with his legs in a straddle position extended out in front of his torso. The person bends his torso into the mat, thereby stretching his legs and back muscles. To maximize the stretch, the person may extend his arms out over his head in a reaching fashion and the stretch is held for a short period of time. The stretching exercise may be assisted with the help of a partner or therapist. For severely impaired patients, a therapist must individually move each of the patient&#39;s limbs while the patient is on a table or on the floor. In a hanging stretch exercise, the person hangs from a bar, such as, for example, in a chin-up preparation position, and allows the weight of his or her own body to provide a downward stretch. This method is particularly undesirable in a therapeutic environment since the full body weight often provides many times more force than is necessary or desired to accomplish the stretch, thus putting strain on the muscles. Additionally, a patient in therapy often lacks the strength in their hands that is required to support their own body weight.  
         [0006]     In the design and manufacture of exercise machines, the trend has been to move away from manual or free-weight apparatuses and to provide more machines which are designed to ensure proper movement of a specific muscle group. Although this trend has been more prevalent for muscle building exercise machines, it is becoming more prevalent for stretching equipment as well.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,090 to Reed shows an exercising machine for stretching a user&#39;s leg and back muscles, which closely simulates conventional floor exercises. A user sits with his legs extended out and locked in front of his torso. A handgrip is provided at the end of a motorized telescoping arm for the user to grasp. Forward and reverse buttons on the handgrip are used to control the direction of the telescoping arm as it pulls the user to the floor or pushes him back to a sitting position. This machine is mechanically complex and extremely limited in the types of exercises and range of motions that can be accomplished. For example, this type of machine cannot be used in a therapeutic environment where the patient has a back injury and is physically unable to bend at the torso. Additionally, since it is a user operated motorized machine, that is actually stretching the muscles, it would be easy for an inexperienced or overzealous user to go too far and cause muscle hyperextension or some other unhealthy result.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,453 to Hestilow shows an example of a stretching machine where a user sits with his legs secured in a pair of leg decks which are longitudinally slidable to accommodate different size users. A hydraulic jack is used to move the leg decks in an arc movement to stretch the user&#39;s legs in a spread-eagled fashion. A handle bar is positioned in front of the user in the same plane as the user&#39;s legs to aid in front stretches.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,684 to Ruff shows a leg stretch machine somewhat similar to the one that is described in Hestilow. A crank and ratchet mechanism is provided which, when turned, moves a pair of spreader arms to split a user&#39;s legs apart. A hand-grip is bolted to a central bar in front of the user near the ground. This allows the user to pull his upper body closer to the floor with his legs spread thereby simulating various martial arts positions.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,504 to Mangini shows a stretching machine where a seat is provided with pivotally mounted leg platforms extending there from. A user sits in the seat in an upright position with his legs strapped into the leg platforms. The machine employs a steering wheel type crank which, when turned, moves the leg platforms and stretches the user&#39;s legs apart. A rod is positioned directly in front of the user. The rod has a left and right hand grip and a cable extending from the center of the rod to the seat backrest. When the user grasps and turns the rod, a ratchet mechanism winds the cable around the rod pulling the backrest forward and causing the user to assume a bent over posture. In this manner, the leg and back muscles are stretched simultaneously.  
         [0011]     The aforementioned stretch exercise machines offer significant improvement over conventional floor exercises in that they ensure proper muscle movement and, in most cases, allow for holding the muscles in a stretched position for a period of time. Unfortunately, the stretching machines only allow the user to assume a straight-out, bent over posture and do not permit side-to-side movements or vertical stretch movements, which simulate hanging.  
         [0012]     To date few advances have been made in the design of machines which facilitate stretching exercises. Typical examples are U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,801 to Davies and U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,560 to Davies. These machines are essentially leg stretching machines with an added back stretching bar. The user sits on these machines with their legs positioned outward, resting on a pair of movable leg supports. The user turns a crank to which moves the leg supports outward, away from each other in a jaw like fashion thus stretching the legs apart. The user then positions the stretching beam, captured between the two leg supports in front of him, grasps the handle that rides along the beam and stretches forward thus stretching the users&#39; back. While primitive, this is the finest back stretcher to date. Unfortunately, the stretch machines only allow the user to assume a straight-out, bent over posture and side-to-side stretching is limited by the leg flexibility of the user.  
         [0013]     It is important that stretching be carried out with smooth continuous movements, rather than bouncy movements, in order to avoid injuries during the stretching exercise itself. Ideally, the muscles should be in a relaxed state to maximize the stretch and to avoid undue stress on the muscle, tendons, and skeleton. In addition stretching a wide variety of muscle groups will maximize the benefit to the user. Having a device designed to accomplish these objectives would be advantageous since it would encourage healthy individuals to include stretching in their fitness routine, and would aid in rehabilitation and treatment regimens as well as reduce the cost of therapy.  
         [0014]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus for stretching a wide variety of a user&#39;s muscle groups.  
         [0015]     It is an object of this invention to provide a stretching apparatus useful for rehabilitation, medical treatment and fitness.  
         [0016]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus which is convenient and easy to use.  
         [0017]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus which allows for a wide variety of stretches in a wide variety of directions.  
         [0018]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus which decreases the risk of injury to the user.  
         [0019]     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus which allows for smooth and continuous movements by the user.  
         [0020]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a stretching apparatus which is portable.  
         [0021]     Finally, it is an object of the present invention to accomplish the foregoing objectives in a simple and cost effective manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     The objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a stretching bar which consists of at least one tubular column and a handle attached thereto, preferably through a releasable attachment. In the preferred embodiment, the stretching bar includes an attachment port which mates with an attachment coupling on the handle member. If desired, the handle member may attach to the stretching bar such that the handle can rotate during use. In the preferred embodiment, the stretching bar includes two or three telescoping tubular columns which slide in relationship to each other. The telescoping sections may be locked in place when the desired length of the stretching bar is achieved. If three telescoping columns are used, the inner columns may extend from opposite ends of the outermost column or may extend from the same end. In an alternate embodiment, the handle member is attached to the stretching bar by means of a sliding carriage. The handle may be an integral part of the sliding carriage or may be releasable attached to allow different types of handles to be attached. If desired, the stretching bar may also be attached to a base member 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]      FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  are perspective views of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the bar portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is a back view of the handle portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a view of the connection element of the handle portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the handle portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the handle portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the handle portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0033]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0035]      FIG. 14  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0036]      FIG. 15  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention in the collapsed or unextended configuration;  
         [0037]      FIG. 16  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention in the extended configuration;  
         [0038]      FIG. 17  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the collapsed or unextended configuration;  
         [0039]      FIG. 18  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in the extended configuration;  
         [0040]      FIG. 19  is a top view of a handle portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0041]      FIG. 20  is a top view of a double handle portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0042]      FIG. 21  is a top view of a double handle portion with attachment port connector of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0043]      FIG. 22  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0044]      FIG. 23  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0045]      FIG. 24  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0046]      FIGS. 25 and 26  are a perspective views of a gimbal attachment of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0047]      FIGS. 27 and 28  are perspective views of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     ELEMENT LIST  
       [0000]    
       
           100  attachment port  
           102  attachment locking mechanism  
           104  attachment port coupling  
           106  first telescoping tube  
           108  outer tube coupling  
           110  bottom end of stretching bar  
           112  second telescoping tube  
           114  handle  
           116  attachment port connector  
           118  sliding carriage  
           120  locking mechanism  
           122  sliding carriage  
           124  locking mechanism  
           126  gimbal mechanism  
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0062]     The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention.  
         [0063]     A stretching bar provides safe and effective stretching of a wide variety of muscle groups while the user is in a relaxed sitting or semi-prone orientation. The stretching bar is capable of stretching the back, arm, leg, and shoulder muscles without using the full weight of the patient to apply the stretching force. The back, arm, leg, shoulder muscles, and joints of a paraplegic can be stretched with the user in a seated position. For example, the user is permitted to stretch above his head as well as towards his or her feet. In addition, the back and arm muscles and joints can be stretched with the user&#39;s torso being turned towards one side or the other, thus, a different set of muscle groups and joints are stretched than when the torso is oriented in a forward direction. By crossing one&#39;s legs while performing the previously described movements the muscles of the legs can be stretched as well. The stretching bar can also include a mechanism for allowing the user to stretch in an arched back position thus allowing additional backstretches. When the user is seated with the stretching bar positioned at his side, or he positions the stretching bar to either side of his torso he can stretch the shoulder joint and the various muscles of his shoulder. In the telescoping embodiment of the invention, there can be as few as two tubes for the telescoping section of the telescoping stretching bar; however, there can be three or more depending on the extension length desired as well as the compressed length desired. The telescoping stretching bar handle may take several forms such as a grip handle, Velcro straps, a T handle, or any other desired design. The telescoping stretching bar may also have a fixed hand grip means at the end or may have an attachment port at the end to accommodate the various handle configurations or other attachments. The hand grip may also be slidably connected to the telescoping section of the stretching bar. A scale similar to that of a yardstick can be added to the telescoping section of the stretching bar for measuring the stretch.  
         [0064]     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-4 , there are shown front, side and perspective views of the stretching bar. The frame of the stretching bar is comprised of a bar which contains a single  112  or, preferably, multiple vertical support members which are preferably made from tubular steel or a similar sturdy material of any desired cross-section, for example, round, square, U-shaped, or other appropriate shape. In the preferred embodiment, the stretching bar is formed from telescoping members. The telescoping stretching bar assembly shown in  FIGS. 1-16  consists of two nesting sections  106  and  112  with the lower end  114  preferably including a rubber stop for providing a frictional contact point during use.  
         [0065]     The telescoping stretching bar assembly preferably includes a handle  118  connected to its end or may contain an attachment port  100  at its end to accept a variety of attachments which may be locked in place by means of a pin lock  102  or other type of appropriate connection means which connects the handle  118  securely. The handle  118  may take numerous forms such as, for example, rubber or Velcro straps (not shown), a T handle or other suitable means for grasping.  
         [0066]      FIGS. 5-8  show a preferred connection means between the handle  118  and the telescoping stretching bar. The telescoping stretching bar includes an attachment port coupling  104  which has an attachment port  100  at its end. The handle  118  includes an attachment port connector  120  which connects to the attachment port  100  on the telescoping stretching bar. An attachment locking mechanism  102  on the attachment port coupling  104  releasably connects the handle  118  to the telescoping stretching bar by means of an internal locking pin.  
         [0067]      FIGS. 9-14  show an alternate embodiment in which the handle includes three grip locations. The stretching bar is constructed as shown in  FIGS. 1-8 . This alternate embodiment includes an alternate handle  118 . The three pronged handle  118  shown is one example of an alternate handle. Many other handle designs are contemplated within the scope of this invention.  
         [0068]      FIGS. 15 and 16  show collapsed and extended views of the preferred embodiment of the stretching bar with a single telescoping member  106 . As disclosed above, the stretching bar includes an outer tube  112  and a telescoping tube  106  which is slidably disposed within the outer tube  112 . The outer tube  112  includes an attachment port coupling  104 . An attachment locking mechanism  102  formed in the attachment port coupling  104  acts to retain the telescoping tube  106  in the collapsed orientation as shown in  FIG. 15  or in the extended orientation as shown in  FIG. 16 . The telescoping tube  106  can also be releasably locked at positions in between the fully collapsed and fully extended orientations.  
         [0069]      FIGS. 17 and 18  show an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which the stretching bar includes two telescoping members  106  and  116 . In this embodiment, each end of the outer tube  112  includes an attachment port coupling  104  which includes an attachment locking mechanism  102 . Each telescoping member extends from an opposite end of the outer tube  112  and is held in the collapsed orientation as shown in  FIG. 17  or in the extended orientation as shown in  FIG. 18 . The telescoping tube  106  can also be releasably locked at locations in between the fully collapsed and fully extended orientations.  
         [0070]      FIGS. 19-21  show an alternate embodiment of the handle mechanism in which the handle orientation is adjustable by the user while stretching. In this embodiment, the upper end of the stretching bar is adapted to accept one or more handles  118  having a grip portion and an attachment portion with an opening for mounting the handle  118  on the stretching bar. As shown in  FIG. 20 , two handles  118  can be mounted on the stretching bar. When used in this fashion, the handles  118  can be rotated during use. Additionally, the handles  118  can be oriented at different angles as needed.  
         [0071]      FIG. 22  shows an alternate embodiment of the stretching bar which has a handle  118  connected to a sliding carriage  122  which is slidable along the length of the stretching bar. The tube  112  may also have an attachment port coupling  104  having an attachment port  100  at the lower end of the stretching bar for attachment to a base or various other attachments. The attachment port  100  includes a locking mechanism  102  for removably connecting handles, bases or other attachments to the stretching bar.  
         [0072]      FIG. 23  shows an alternate embodiment of the stretching bar which has a handle  118  connected to a sliding carriage  122  which is slidable along the length of the stretching bar and may ratchet or lock by means of a locking mechanism  124  to a desired position along the length of the tube  112 . The tube  112  may also have an attachment port coupling  104  having an attachment port  100  at the lower end of the stretching bar for attachment to a base or various other attachments. The attachment ports  100  include locking mechanisms  102  for removably connecting handles, bases or other attachments to the stretching bar.  
         [0073]      FIG. 24  shows another alternate embodiment of the stretching bar in which the outer tube  112  has a sliding carriage  122  with a locking mechanism  124  and an attachment port coupling  104  having an attachment port  100  for various handle configurations. The tube  112  also has an attachment port coupling  104  having an attachment port  100  at the lower end of the stretching bar for attachment to a base or various other attachments. As described previously, the attachment ports  100  include locking mechanisms  102  for removably connecting handles, bases or other attachments.  
         [0074]      FIGS. 25 and 26  show perspective views of a gimbal base which can be used with the preferred embodiment of the stretching bar as shown in  FIGS. 27 and 28 . In this embodiment, the lower end of the telescoping stretching bar includes an attachment port  100 . The gimbal base  126  includes an attachment port connector  120  which is inserted into the attachment port  100  and is locked in place using an attachment locking mechanism  102 . This embodiment allows controlled movement of the telescoping stretching bar in three-dimensional space.  
         [0075]     If desired, a ratchet mechanism, such as that disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/933,592 entitled, “Stretching Machine,” hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, can be built into the telescoping stretching bar to permits telescoping movement only in one direction. While engaged, the handle  118  cannot slip backwards and the telescoping stretching bar may hold the user in a stretched position for any desired period of time. The ratchet mechanism may be designed to click at specific intervals, such as, for example, every centimeter. Indicia may be provided along the length of the telescoping stretching bar to provide positive feedback regarding the distance of the stretch and thereby allow the user to monitor his progress. Since the user may be stretching his arms, back and shoulders on his own initiative and not under the influence of some outside force, there is no danger of muscle hyperextension or other stretching related injury. A release lever is preferably provided to release the ratchet mechanism so that the handle  118  can be lowered for another exercise repetition.  
         [0076]     In operation the user grips the telescoping stretching bar by the handle  118  and adjusts the length by releasing the pin lock then extending the telescoping stretching bar to the desired length and then releases the pin lock when the desired length is achieved. The user then places the rubber stop at the bottom  114  of the bar against a surface. The user then begins to stretch by grasping the handle  118  and stretching the desired muscle group. Gravity provides assistance in achieving the desired stretch. The telescoping sections  106  and/or  116  of the telescoping stretching bar now extend in the selected direction under the force of the user.  
         [0077]     In addition to the previously described stretches the user may also use the telescoping stretching bar for single arm stretching in the same manner by grasping the handle  118  or other suitable attachment with a single hand. Since, the preferred ratchet mechanism permits movement only in one direction, the handle  118  cannot slip backwards and the bar can hold the user in a stretched position for any desired period of time.  
         [0078]     The user may also sit on a seat, positioning himself to have the telescoping stretching bar towards their left arm or their right arm. In this position, the user will operate the telescoping stretching bar in the same manner as before, however the resulting stretch will be focused on the shoulder muscles, ligaments and joints closest to the bar.  
         [0079]     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

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