GB2516299A

GB2516299A - Variable exercise gym

Info

Publication number: GB2516299A
Application number: GB1312890.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Nunn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-18
Filing date: 2013-07-18
Publication date: 2015-01-21
Also published as: GB201312890D0

Abstract

The foldable exercise frame, for use with weights and resistance bands, comprises a central panel section 302 to which first and second side panels 303 are pivotally connected at respective edges, each panel having at least one bar retaining slot 306. The frame has a folded configuration in which the panels are parallel to each other and a deployed configuration in which the side panels are arranged to provide support for a bar locatable in the slots. The central and/or side panels may comprise a number of pivotally connected sub-panels and/or at least one aperture 305. The or each bar retaining slot is preferably provided on the edge 307 distal from the pivotal connection, with there preferably being a number of such slots. The frame may comprise a standing board, designed to locate in at least one of the apertures, and may be formed from wood, preferably medium density fibre board.

Description

Variable Exercise Gym

Field of the invention

The field of the invention is gym equipment and more particularly foldable home gym equipment.

Background of the invention

People are increasingly aware of the health benefits of exercise and going to the gym on a regular basis is very popular. Howcvcr, gym membcrship is oficn cxpensivc and it is often inconvellient for people with busy lives to find the time to go to a gym to work out. Equipment for exercising at home is consequently becoming more and more popular. However many people have limited space available for workbenches and other systems and consequently foldable systems such as that disclosed in W086/02848 have been developed. W086/02848 discloses a complete home exercise system which is foldable; it comprises work bench, pulleys and racks for weights.

Such a system, although useful for a serious athlete, is complex and likely to be expcnsivc and its complcxity may dctcr the less committcd cxcrciscr.

Simpler foldable devices are disclosed in GB2475567 and U5443 1181, but in both cases, the devices proposed are complex and space consuming. The metal construction also rcquircs specialist machinery for manufacture.

In summary, the invention, at least in its preferred embodiments provides a very simple foldable system which can fold to an almost flat arrangement.

Summary of the rnvelltion

In its broadest aspect, the present inycntion provides a foldable exercise frame comprising: a central panel section; a first and a second side panel each piyotally attachcd to respective edges of thc central panel; cach side panel having at Icast one bar retaining slot; wherein the frame has: a folded configuration wherein the panels are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other; and a deployed configuration in which each of the first and second side panels arc arranged cooperatively with the central panel to provide support for a bar locatable in respective slots.

Preferably the side panels are substantially perpendicular to the central panel, in the deployed configuration.

Preferably the central panel comprises a plurality of pivotally connected sub-panels.

Preferably the at least one of the side panel comprises a plurality of pivotally connected sub-panels.

Preferably at least one of the central panel, the first side panel and the second side panel comprises at least one aperture.

Preferably each of the side panels has an outer edge distal the pivotal attachment, the edge comprising at least one edge bar retaining slot.

Preferably the edge bare retaining slot has an open end and slopes downwardly towards a retaining end.

Preferably, each outcr edge compriscs a plurality of bar retaining slots.

Optionally there is provided a standing board, which in use is located in at least one of the apertures.

Optionally the panels are at least partially constructed from wood.

Optionally the panels arc at least partially constructed from medium density fibre board.

Preferably the panels are at least partially constructed from birch-faced plywood.

The construction shape can provide sufficient stability to allow construction from a light weight material such as plywood. This would have the additional benefit of being environmentally friendly, having a small carbon footprint and being obtainable from sustainable sources.

Brief description of the drawings

The above and other aspects of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a foldable weights frame according to the prior art; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the foldable weights frame of Figure 1 in its folded configuration; Figure 3 is perspective view of a foldable exercise frame according to a first embodiment of the invention in its deployed configuration; Figure 4 is a perspectivc view of a foldable exercise frame of Figure 3 in its folded configuration; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a foldable exercise frame of Figure 3 in its deployed configuration supporting a barbell; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a foldable exercise frame of Figure 3 in its deployed configuration in use in combination with a barbell and step; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a foldable exercise according to an embodiment of the invention with an optional platform; Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention in its deployed configuration; Figure 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention in its folded configuration.

Detailed description

In its broadest aspect, the present invention provides an easily foldable frame for exercise using both free weights and resistance bands. Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa prior art solution to this problem, illustrating a foldable weights frame 100, in its deployed configuration 101. The foldable frame comprises the main weights support 102 on feet 103, bench section 104 and leg exercise section 105. The frame comprises metal members which are foldable to a more compact arrangement. The folded configuration 201 of foldable frame 100 is illustrated in Figure 2. Although more compact, the arrangement is still not suitable for many homes with their stringent space requirements.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a foldable frame 301 according to an embodiment of the invention, in its deployed configuration. The deployed configuration is intended for use of an athlete when exercising. The frame comprises a central panel 302, and two side panels 303. The side panels and the central panel are connected by means of hinges 304. In order to reduce the weight of the panels, the panels are optionally provided with apertures 305. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the apertures are not essential and solid panels are within the scope of the invention.

In order to hold a barbell or equivalent, frame 301 is provided with a bar retaining slots 306 located in cdgc 307 distal to the central panel. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining slots are sloped downwards from edge 307 towards central panel 302, when the frame is in use. This feature has a major advantage in that when an athlete is performing for example bench press exercises, the barbell is easier to insert into the slots as the downward slope obviates the need to lift the barbell over the edge of a retaining slot, as is typical in prior art frames. In an embodiment of the invention, conventionally upright receiving slots 308 are provided in each of side panels 303.

In an embodiment, securing struts 309 are provided to hold the side panels in place when the foldable frame is in its deployed configuration. In a preferred embodiment, each strut comprises a main member 310 and two securing pins 311 substantially transverse to the main member. The central panel and the side panels have receiving holes suitably positioned to receive the securing pins. In a preferred embodiment these receiving holes are located such that the securing pins are receivable by the holes when the side panel is positioned substantially perpendicular to the central panel.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a v-shaped aperture 312 is provided. This aperture allows the athlete to perform abdominal exercises involving leaning into the groove whilst the athlete's feet are secured beneath a barbell held by retaining slots.

The person skilled in the art will appreciate that this aperture need not be v-shaped and may be any suitable shape to accommodate a human upper torso.

Figure 4 illustrates the foldable frame of Figure 4 in its folded configuration 401, intended for storage of the frame. Securing stnits 309 are now no longer located in both of the receiving holes and side panels 303 are positioned substantially parallel to the ceniral panel 302.

Folded configuration 401 allows for an ease of storing which is more convenient than the arrangements disclosed in the prior art. The folded device may for example be placed behind a settee of cupboard, in locations where conventional weights frames would not fit even in their collapsed state.

In use the foldable frame may be used as a stand for free weight exercises, either on its own, for exercises such as the "military press", squat, bent over row etc. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the foldable frame with barbell 501 resting in upright receiving slots 308. In addition to its use as a simple stand for weigh$, the stability inherent in the design of a foldable frame according to the invention allows its use for exercises such as pull-ups.

Use in combination with additional equipment such as a bench or step is also possible.

The use of a bench placed beneath the barbell shown in Figure 5 would enable the athlete to perform a bench press. The provision of a plurality of receiving holes 306 along edge 307 allows a barbell to bc placed onto the frame at a plurality of different heights. Many athletes, particularly bodybuilders will continue repetitions of an exercise until failure. This allows for maximum working of muscles and consequently maximum muscle growth. However it comes with the risk of the athlete being unable to replace the barbell on the frame. For this reason it is ill advised to work out alone, due to the risk of injury in such circumstances. The provision of multiple receiving slots allows the athlete to replace the bar on to the frame at whichever height "failure" occurs, thus allowing him or her to safely attempt an extra repetition. Another embodiment provides bar retaining slots with substantially parallel sides, without any "lip" around the slot, so as to allow easy placement of a barbell into the retaining slots.

Figure 6 illustrates the use of a foldable frame according to an embodiment of the invention in combination with step 601 and a barbell 501. In this configuration, an athlete may stand upon step 601 and use the apparatus for resistance band exercises.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention, in which there is provided a standing board section 701. In a preferred embodiment, this fits into apertures 305 of the central panel and over barbell 501, typically located in the lowest rccciving slots. The standing board allows the athlete's weight to be used to hold down the board, thus providing an anchor for resistance band exercises.

The person skilled in the art will appreciate that more than 3 panels are possible, which allows greater flexibility in folding the frame and consequently improves the ease of storage. An embodiment with four panels is illustrated in Figure 8. In this embodiment, there are provided side panels 303 and a central panel 302, comprising two hinged sub-panels 801.

In the deployed configuration, the sub-panels fold out to provide a single central panel. This allows the extension of the apparatus for exercising whilst allowing a more compact arrangement for storage. This more compact storage arrangement is illustrated in Figure 9, which shows side panels 303 folded substantially parallel to subpancls 801 of central panel 302. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many different possible arrangements of the panels and sub-panels, including arrangements in which the side sections comprise a plurality of sub-panels.

The invention is not limited to any particular arrangement of the panels.

The panels in an embodiment of the invention are constructed from wood. In an alternative embodiment they are constructed from medium density fibre board (MDF). Although the foldable frame can be manufactured in plastic, or metal as in traditional exercise frames, the advantages of using wood or MDF is cost and ease of manufacture. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, birch faced plywood is used. This material has a very high strength to weight ratio, allowing the unit to be light weight and very thin, allowing the unit to folded to a minimal thickness. No special tooling is needed and machining is very easy. A further advantage is that is environmentally friendly, coming from a sustainable source and having a low carbon footprint.

The invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments herein described.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A foldable exercise frame comprising: a central panel section; a first and a second side panel each pivotally attached to respective edges of said central panel; each side panel having at least one bar retaining slot; wherein said frame has: a folded configuration wherein said panels are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other; and a deployed configuration in which each of said first and second side panels are arranged cooperatively with said central panel to provide support for a bar locatable in respective slots.
2. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side panels are substantially perpendicular to said central panel, in said deployed configuration.
3. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said central panel comprises a plurality of pivotally connected sub-panels.
4. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said side panels comprises a plurality of pivotally connected sub-panels.
5. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said central panel, said first side panel and said second side panel comprises at least one aperture.
6. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each of said side panels has an outer edge distal said pivotal attachment, said edge comprising at least one edge bar retaining slot.
7. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in claim 6, wherein said edge bare retaining slot has an open end and slopes downwardly towards a retaining end.
8. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said each outer edge comprises a plurality of bar retaining slots.
9. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a standing board, which in use is located in at least one of said apertures.
10. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said panels are at least partially constructed from wood.
11. A foldable exercise frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said panels are at least partially constructed from medium density fibre board.
12. A foldable exercise frame substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 to 9.