GB2624448A

GB2624448A - Exercise device

Info

Publication number: GB2624448A
Application number: GB2217315.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Summers Neil
Original assignee: Enanef Ltd
Current assignee: Enanef Ltd
Priority date: 2022-11-18
Filing date: 2022-11-18
Publication date: 2024-05-22
Also published as: GB202217315D0

Abstract

An exercise device comprises at least one handle member 13; a base portion 11; at least one pedal member 16; and at least one resiliently deformable member 18C operatively connected between the handle member 13 and the at least one pedal member 16. The at least one handle member 13 is connected to the base portion 11, and the at least one pedal member 16 is pivotally connected to the base portion 11. The resilient member 18C may be a helical spring or elasticated cord or belt. There may be provided two handle members and /or two pedal members. The handle member may be pivotally connected to the base portion.

Description

Exercise Device

Field of the Invention

The present application relates to methods and equipment for performing cardiovascular and strength exercises.

Background

Existing exercise methods and equipment such as for example equipment for isolating and training an athlete's core muscles typically requires an inconveniently large volume of space for operation and storage. Such equipment, is typically large enough for an adult to engage with via various parts of the body to perform a required exercise due to the nature and location of core musculature within human anatomy.

Accordingly, in the state of the art many known devices and systems for isolating and exercising core musculature are suitable for installation in dedicated gymnasiums, or specific 'workout space'. and designed to isolate a single muscle group or perform a singular exercise motion. These existing solutions do not provide for a use-case in environments with low space availability, such as domestic training at home, where only limited exercise space might be available.

Aspects and embodiments of the present application have been devised with the foregoing in mind.

Summary of the invention

From a first aspect, there is provided an exercise device comprising: at least one handle member; a base portion; at least one pedal member; and at least one resiliently deformable member operatively connected between the handle member and the at least one pedal member. The at least one handle member is connected to the base portion, and the at least one pedal member is pivotally connected to the base portion.

The provided exercise device for exercising the core musculature of a user, which is advantageously compact in that it does not comprise a seat unlike other devices in the state of the art.

From another aspect, each of the at least one pedal member is pivotally connected to the base portion by way of a shaft member.

The shaft members provide further mechanical stability to the device without increasing the footprint of the device, thus retaining the compact advantages of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the at least one resiliently deformable member is configured to deform with an increase in length in a resilient manner.

The extension of the resiliently deformable member in length during use allows for compact storage of the device when inactive.

In some embodiments the resiliently deformable member is configured to deform with an increase in length responsive to displacement of the at least one 10 pedal member.

The extension in response to displacement of the pedal member is advantageous in that it allows consistent and repetitive motion of the pedal members with a restorative force generated by the resiliently deformable members which assist the user in the performance of the exercise routine In some embodiments, the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one spring.

In some embodiments where the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one spring, the spring is an elongate spring.

In some embodiments where the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one spring, the spring is an extension spring.

In some embodiments, where the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one spring, the spring is a helical spring.

Springs are known for their robust and resilient properties and can be deformed multiple times without inducing undue wear and with low risk of failure.

In some embodiments, the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises an elasticated member.

In some embodiments where the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises an elasticated member, the elasticated member is an elasticated cord. In some embodiments where the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises an elasticated member, the elasticated member is an elasticated belt.

In some embodiments, the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one rubber filament.

The provision of resiliently deformable members comprising a spring, an elastic cord, a rubber filament, or any combination of the three provides a resiliently deformable member that is capable of repetitive deformation whilst still providing useful resilience and longevity.

In some embodiments, the resiliently deformable members are removably attached to the handle member and pedal member.

The reversible attachment of the members allows simple and convenient replacement of the deformable members, allowing simple maintenance of the device.

In some embodiments, the device may comprise at least two resiliently deformable members per pedal member.

By providing at least two resiliently deformable members per pedal member, one of the resiliently deformable members can be removed simply and rapidly, and therefore reduce the level of assistance given to the user when lifting their foot towards themselves when using the device. It is a feature of the present invention that removal of one or more resiliently deformable members from the device increases the intensity of the exercise routine when core musculature is considered.

In some embodiments wherein the device comprises shaft members, the one or more shaft members are adjustable in length.

The user may adjust the size of the shaft members to suit their leg length and particular exercise routine, and further may reduce the size of the device for storage. In some embodiments wherein the devise comprises shaft members, the device comprises a retaining means arranged to reversibly attach the one or more shaft members to the handle member.

The retaining means allows the shaft members to be rigidly retained to the handle member, making the device more compact and readily storable Viewed from a further aspect, each of the at least one handle members comprises a handlebar portion arranged distally to the base portion.

A handlebar portion enables more convenient use of the device by allowing the user to stabilize the device with both hands in use.

In some embodiments where a handlebar portion is provided, the at least one handle member further comprises an attachment portion configured to extend towards the one or more pedal members and arranged so as not to impede access to the handlebar portion, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable members are reversibly attached to the attachment portions.

The attachment portion allows vertical attachment of the resiliently deformable members to the pedal members without impeding user access to a grip portion of the handlebar. The vertical alignment of the resiliently deformable members is advantageous in avoiding undue stresses on the device, and allowing maximum range of motion of the pedal member with minimum extension of the resiliently deformable members.

In some embodiments, the at least one handle member is pivotally connected to the base portion.

A pivotable handle member requires the user to perform a more intensive exercise routine by supporting the handle member whilst pressing the pedal members away from them. It further allows more complex exercise motions, such as pulling the handle members towards themselves during the exercise routine In some embodiments the at least one handle member is adjustable in length.

By providing an adjustable handle member, the user may adjust the size of the device to suit the user's dimensions and further may reduce the size of the device for storage.

In some embodiments wherein the at least one handle member is pivotably connected to the base portion, the device comprises a locking means configured to inhibit relative rotation of the at least one handle member and base portion.

By preventing motion of the handle member, the user may adapt the type of exercise routine they wish to perform. They may further use the locking means to retain the handle member in an upright position in combination with the retaining means supporting the shaft members alongside the handle member, thus enabling easy transport and storage of the device.

In some embodiments where the at least one handle member is pivotably connected to the base portion, the device comprises two handle members.

The provision of two handle members allows more complex exercise routines and movements to be performed by the user.

In some embodiments, the device is not affixed to a seat for the user.

The omission of a seat as part of the device further improves the form factor of the device for storage and convenient use in the domestic environment.

A kit may be provided comprising a seat and the device, wherein the seat is arranged for use with the device.

Use of the device is most convenient with a seat, that allows the user to adjust their position relative to the device and enables further exercise routines.

There is provided a method for performing an exercise routine using the device, comprising a user: placing a foot on the one or more pedal members; gripping the handle member; sitting remotely of the device; and moving the at least one pedal member so as to deform the resiliently deformable member.

The method allows a user to exercise their core musculature whilst using a compact and storable device.

The method may further comprise the user maintaining the at least one handle member in substantially the same position throughout the exercise routine.

The method may further comprise the user pulling the handle member towards them throughout the exercise so as to further deform the resiliently deformable member.

Where the device comprises two handle members, a method of performing an exercise routine using the device may comprise a user: placing a foot on the one or more pedal members; gripping each of the handle members; sitting remotely of the device; and moving the at least one pedal member so as to deform the resiliently deformable member, wherein the user alternately pulls the handle members toward themselves so as to further deform the resiliently deformable members.

The method may focus on different muscle groups within the core musculature of the user by adapting the motion of the handle members.

There is further provided an exercise device comprising: at least one handle member; a base portion; at least one pedal member; and at least one resiliently deformable member operatively connected between the handle member and the at least one pedal member. The at least one handle member is connected to the base portion, and the at least one pedal member is pivotally connected to the base portion. The device is configured to be operatively located remote from, and separate from, a seat for supporting a user of the device.

Brief description of the figures

The invention is described further hereinafter, by away of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows a device according to an embodiment of the present application viewed from a front aspect; Fig 2 is an isometric view of the device of Fig 1; Fig 3 is a side view of the device of Fig 1; Fig 4 is a perspective view of the device of Fig 1 but with the foot pedals displaced such as when in use; and Fig 5 is a schematic view of the device of Fig 1 when in use.

Detailed description

The embodiment of an exercise device 10 of the present invention as depicted in Fig 1 comprises a base portion 11 with a locking means 12 fitted to the base portion. A handle member 13 is pivotally connected to the base portion. Shaft members 14 are pivotally connected to the base portion, either side of the handle member 13. Handle member 13 is fitted with a retaining means 15 which is arranged to removably attach to the shaft members 14. Pedal members 16 are pivotally connected to the base portion by means of the shaft members 16. The pedal members are provided with attachment portions 17 arranged to removably connect to resiliently deformable members 18A -18D. Handle member 11 is provided with a handlebar portion 19 arranged at the opposite end of the handle member 13 from the base portion 11. The resilient deformable members are attached to the handle member 13.

As depicted in Fig 2, the base portion has four arms, two protruding laterally to the device 21, 22 (i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the rotation of the handle member and pedal members), one anterior 23 and one posterior 24 to the device. The legs may be fitted with feet 25 to aid in grip and stability. The feet may be separate or integrally formed with the legs. The base portion is fitted with frame portion 26 which supports the pivotable connections of the shaft members 14 and the handle member 13. Each pivot is formed by an axle which is supported by the frame and passes through the ends of the shaft members and the handle member.

The axle 27 for the shaft members 14 and the axle for the handle member 28 are shown as passing through the frame portion. The axle 21 passes through the shaft members and the frame portion and is retained in that position by fixings, the arrangement allowing the shaft members to pivot about the axle. The axle 22 passes through the frame portion and the handle member to similarly support the handle member, allowing for the handle member to pivot about the axle.

The handlebar portion 19 of the handle member 13 is provided with at least one conformable layer denoting a grip portion 29 to improve user grip and comfort.

As depicted in Fig 3, the handle member extends upwards from the base portion, further in length than either of the shaft members 14 or pedal members 16 such that a handlebar 19 at the top of the handle member is positioned further from the base portion than either of the pedal members.

As depicted in Fig 3, extending forwards and down from the handlebar is attachment portion 31 arranged to provide a convenient and robust attachment point for the at least one resiliently deformable member. The attachment portion 31 is arranged such that it is attached to the handlebar portion outside of the region the user will expect to grip the device, and extends away from the grip portion 29. The attachment portion then extends along the same direction as the grip portion, substantially parallel to the top of the at pedal members.

The resiliently deformable members 18 are arranged so that they are removably attached to the pedal member attachment portions 17 at one end and to the attachment portion of the handle member 31 at the other, such that the resiliently deformable member runs substantially vertically from the attachment portion to the pedal member.

As depicted in Fig 4, the resiliently deformable members 18 deform in length when the device is in use. The resiliently deformable members may be made from any material with suitable elastic properties, for example elasticated cord, rubber, springs, or sprung levers.

As depicted in Fig 5, a user sits remotely of the device and places their feet on the pedal members 16, whilst gripping the handle member 13 via the handlebar portion 19.

The resiliently deformable members are reversibly attached to the device via clips disposed at either end of the resiliently deformable members. Many kinds of clip are appropriate for use with the device, the clips must be resilient enough to withstand the deformation of the resiliently deformable member.

The shaft members and handle members are adjustable in length, thereby rendering the device readily adjustable in size for convenient use by a variety of users. Both the shaft members and handle members are configured for adjustability by comprising a first and a second hollow cylindrical member, one of which arranged concentrically within the other, and adjustably secured to one another by means of pressed button clips in the inner member and associated holes for the clips in the outer member. Pressed button clips are just one of many adjustable securing means for the handle member and shaft members, and it is understood that many alternative securing means would be considered appropriate such as telescopic pole clamps A bracket 15 is fitted to the handle member, arranged to clip onto the shaft 5 members and retain them in an upright position with the handle member to make storage of the device convenient and space-efficient.

A locking means is provided at the base of the handle member, such that the lock can prevent the handle member from pivoting about its axel. In the illustrative embodiments of the figures, the locking means is provided on the same axel as the handle member. The locking means is configured to pass a locking pin through the frame portion of the base and into the handle member, thus securing the handle member to the frame portion both through the axle and through the locking pin. Thus pivoting of the handle member is prevented. A person skilled in the art would appreciate that there are multiple ways of achieving such a lock, including a lock fitted within the axel, or a clip or brace provided on the frame portion to engage with the handle member.

The pedal members 16 are provided at the ends of the shaft members and comprise a broad flat portion facing the user when in the upright position. The broad flat surface is optionally textured to enable better grip of the users feet on the pedal members during exercise. The pedal members may further comprise foot plates or pedals.

In one example, the device 10 is formed from metal. Specifically, the handle member 13, shaft members 14, base portion 11, handlebar portion 19 and frame portion 26 are all formed from a metal suitable for withstanding a user performing an exercise routine.

In some embodiments, the axles 27, 28 are similarly formed from a suitable material such as metal, and may optionally be provided with friction-reducing means such as a layer of low-friction material deposited between the axle and the shaft member 14 or the handle member 13 respectively.

In use, the user sits remotely of the device and exercises their core musculature by pressing the pedal members away from themselves and returning the pedal members to the starting position. The exercise routine is adaptable by changing the distance of the displacement of the pedal members, the level of assistance provided by the resiliently deformable members, and the range of motion of the handle member. The user may further adapt an exercise routine by including further movements such as alternating motion of the pedal members, coordinated motion of the pedal members, or in embodiments where multiple handle members are provided, alternating motion of both the handle members and pedal members.

All references made herein to orientation (e.g. front, rear, upper, lower, anterior and posterior) are made for the purposes of describing relative spatial arrangements of features, and are not intended to be limiting in any sense.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the drawings are merely diagrammatic and that further items of equipment may be required in a commercial apparatus. The position of such ancillary items of equipment forms no part of the present invention and is in accordance with conventional practice in the art.

As used herein any reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having" or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe elements and components of the invention. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

For example, although embodiments have been described in which impact event data may be transmitted to a monitoring station in real-time, impact event data may be stored and downloaded wirelessly, or by wired coupling, at breaks in a match, e.g. half-time, or at the end of the match. This may be particularly suitable for non-professional environments and download may be to a device such as a smartphone or other mobile communication device running a suitable application.

The scope of the present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed therein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigate against any or all of the problems addressed by the present invention. The applicant hereby gives notice that new claims may be formulated to such features during prosecution of this application or of any such further application derived therefrom. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in specific combinations enumerated in the claims.

Claims

Claims An exercise device, comprising: at least one handle member; a base portion; at least one pedal member; and at least one resiliently deformable member operatively connected between the handle member and the at least one pedal member; wherein the at least one handle member is connected to the base portion, and the at least one pedal member is pivotally connected to the base portion.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one pedal member is pivotally connected to the base portion by way of a shaft member.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member is configured to deform with an increase in length in a resilient manner.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member is configured to deform with an increase in length responsive to displacement of the at least one pedal member.
The device of claims 3 or 4, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one spring.
The device of claim 5, wherein the spring is an elongate spring.
7. The device of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the spring is an extension spring.
8. The device of claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the spring is a helical spring.
9. The device of any of claims 3 to 8, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises an elasticated member.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the elasticated member is an elasticated cord.
11. The device of claim 9, wherein the elasticated member is an elasticated belt.
12 The device of any of claims 3 to 11, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member comprises at least one rubber filament.
13. The device any of claims 3 to 12, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable member is removably attached to each of the handle member and pedal member.
14. The device of any of claims 3 to 13 wherein the resiliently deformable member comprises at least two resiliently deformable members per pedal member.
The device of any of claims 2 to 14, wherein the one or more shaft members are adjustable in length.
16 The device of any of claims 2 to 15 further comprising a retaining means arranged to reversibly attach the one or more shaft members to the handle member.
17. The device of any preceding claim, wherein each of the at least one handle members comprises a handlebar portion arranged distally from the base portion.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein the at least one handle member further comprises an attachment portion configured to extend towards the one or more pedal member and arranged so as not to impede access to the handlebar portion, wherein the at least one resiliently deformable members is removably attached to the attachment portions.
19. The device of any preceding claim wherein the at least one handle member is pivotally connected to the base portion.
20. The device of any preceding claim wherein the at least one handle member is adjustable in length.
21 The device of any of claims 19 to 20 further comprising a locking means configured to inhibit relative rotation of the at least one handle member and base portion.
22. The device of any of claims 12 to 21 wherein the device comprises two handle members.
23. The device of any preceding claim wherein the device is not affixed to a seat for the user.
24 A kit comprising a seat and the device, wherein the seat is arranged for use with the device.
A method for performing an exercise routine using the device of any of claims 1 to 23, comprising a user: placing a foot on the at least one pedal member; gripping the handle member; sitting remotely of the device; and moving the at least one pedal member so as to deform the resiliently deformable member.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user maintains the at least one handle member in substantially the same position throughout the exercise routine.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein the user pulls the handle member towards them throughout the exercise so as to further deform the resiliently deformable member.
28. A method for performing an exercise routine using the device of claim 20, comprising a user: placing a foot on the one or more pedal members; gripping each of the handle members; sitting remotely of the device; and moving the at least one pedal member so as to deform the resiliently deformable member, wherein the user alternately pulls the handle members toward themselves so as to further deform the resiliently deformable members.