U.S. patent application number 09/768502 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-05 for exercise discs.
Invention is credited to Schwickrath, Claire.
Application Number | 20010006926 09/768502 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22997068 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010006926 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schwickrath, Claire |
July 5, 2001 |
Exercise discs
Abstract
A pair of exercise discs which will allow the wearer to engage
in cardiovascular type exercises. The discs have a smooth, slippery
surface on the bottom and a rough, textured surface on the top. In
addition, the bottom has a pair of "wings" to prevent sidewise
drifting of the discs.
Inventors: |
Schwickrath, Claire; (Bowie,
MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Joseph H. McGlynn
6111 Saddle Horn Dr.
Fairfax
VA
22030
US
|
Family ID: |
22997068 |
Appl. No.: |
09/768502 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09768502 |
Jan 25, 2001 |
|
|
|
09262330 |
Mar 4, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/105 ;
482/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/0004 20130101;
A63B 69/0059 20130101; A63B 21/012 20130101; A63B 21/4015
20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/105 ;
482/93 |
International
Class: |
A63B 021/06 |
Claims
What is claimed as my invention is:
1. An exercise device adapted to be worn on a user's feet, said
exercise device comprising: a platform made from a compressible
material which compresses when a user stands on said platform, and
said platform having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front, back
and sides, said top surface being relatively flat and having a
roughened texture, said bottom surface being relatively flat and
having a texture that is more slippery than said top surface, said
exercise device adapted to be placed on a user's feet, said
exercise device being secured solely by said roughen ed texture on
said top surface, and wherein said bottom surface has at least two
projections depending downwardly from said bottom surface, said at
least two projections being unitary with said bottom surface, and
said at least two projections being positioned only on opposite
sides of said bottom surface, and said bottom surface that is more
slippery than said top surface extending only across a width of
said bottom surface between said at least two projections.
2. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front of
said platform is curved upwardly from said bottom surface toward
said top surface.
3. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said back of
said platform is curved upwardly from said bottom surface toward
said top surface.
4. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
roughened texture on said top surface is a paint having sand
dispersed therein.
5. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
roughened texture on said top surface is a knurled surface.
6. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
roughened texture on said top surface is a plurality of score lines
placed along said top surface.
7. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom
surface has at least one projection depending downwardly from said
bottom surface.
8. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slippery
texture on said bottom surface is a coating having a low
coefficient of friction.
9. The exercise device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said coating
is Teflon.
10. The exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
exercise device comprises two platforms, one of said two platforms
being used on one of a user's feet, and another of said two
platforms being used on another of said user's feet.
Description
[0001] This is a CIP of Ser. No. 09/262,330, filed Mar. 9, 1998,
now pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates, in general, to exercise equipment,
and, in particular, to elliptical discs which can be used by a
person in order to engage in an exercise program.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] In the prior art various types of exercise devices have been
proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,883 to Dassler discloses
discs used for the sport of curling which have a sole surface with
a sliding area with a low coefficient of friction with respect to
ice.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,453 to Tifre discloses a shoe which has
spherical steel balls rotatively mounted in the sole to allow the
wearer to roll in any direction.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,282 to Maclean discloses an exercise
glide board which has a smooth surface on it top surface in order
to allow a user to exercise by sliding on the top surface.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,350 to Parker, Jr. discloses a roller
shoe having a plurality of projecting lugs mounted on the sole of
the shoe.
[0007] While the prior art devices work for their intended purposes
none of them provide a disc which can be worn in order to allow the
user to engage in cardiovascular type exercises and at the same
time provide a compact, easy to carry and easy to put on and take
off type device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is directed to a pair of discs which
will allow the user to engage in cardiovascular type exercises. The
discs have a smooth, slippery surface on the bottom and a rough,
textured surface on the top. In addition, the bottom has a pair of
"wings" to prevent sidewise drifting of the discs.
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide new and
improved exercise discs which will allow the wearer to engage in
cardiovascular type exercises.
[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide new and
improved exercise discs which are easy to put on and take off.
[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide new and
improved exercise discs which are portable and can be easily
transported.
[0012] These and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will be fully apparent from the following description,
when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1
shows a side view of one of the exercise discs 1 of the present
invention. It should be understood that a pair of discs will be
used, however, since both discs are identical only one is shown in
the figures. The discs will be formed from a relatively soft
compressible material such as, but not limited to, PVC or nylon.
The front and back edges 5 of the discs will be curved slightly
upward as shown at 6. This upward curve at the front and back will
allow the discs to adjust to different heights in floor coverings
and prevent the user's feet from snagging as he/she moves from one
type of floor covering to another. That is, if a user moves from a
lower pile carpet to a higher pile carpeted surface, the leading
edge of the discs will not snag on the carpet and cause the user to
stumble or fall.
[0017] The curve should start at approximately 11/2inches to 2
inches from the front or back edge and should be curved upwardly at
about 20.degree. to provide enough clearance to avoid tripping.
Obviously, these dimensions are merely given for illustrational
purposes and they may be varied without departing from the scope of
the invention.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the top 2 of the discs will have a rough
surface 7 which will cover almost the entire top surface of the
discs, within 1/2to 1 inch of the edges. The rough surface could be
produced in a variety of ways. For example, a paint having a grit,
such as sand, could be applied to the top surface. Other means of
providing a rough surface include rubber, scoring or knurling of
the top surface. The exact method of providing a rough top surface
is not critical as long as the surface will allow a person's feet
to remain on the top surface without sliding off as the person
moves his/her feet.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom surface of each disc 1 will
have a pair of downwardly projecting wings or projections 4 which
will be attached to the bottom side edges of the discs. The wings 4
should be made of the same compressible material as the main body
of the discs and will prevent the user's feet from drifting apart
while in use. The wings will depend approximately 1/2inch from the
bottom 3 of the discs.
[0020] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom 3 of the discs will be
provided with a slippery surface as shown at 8 covering almost the
entire bottom surface, approximately 1/2to 1 inch from all edges,
with a material such as, but not limited to, Teflon, which will
allow the bottom of the discs to slide over a variety of floor
coverings due to the reduction of the coefficient of friction
between the bottom of the discs and the floor.
[0021] Each disc would measure approximately 18 inches long and 10
inches wide in order to fit almost any person's foot size.
Therefore, there would be no need to produce different size discs
for different size feet. It should be noted that these dimensions
are merely given for illustrational purposes and they may be varied
without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0022] In use, a person would place their feet on top of the discs
where the rough surface 7 would cause their feet to remain without
the need for ties or other restraining straps. When a user places
his/her weight on the top of the discs, the discs would compress.
Since the wings 4 are made from the same compressible material as
the discs, the wings would also compress until they are
approximately even with the bottom of the discs. Then, the user
would shuffle his/her feet similar to a person using cross country
skies, but without lifting their feet from the top surface 2 of the
discs. Since the bottom surface 3 of the discs is slippery, the
user would be able to "slide" on almost any type of carpet, thus
enabling them to engage in cardiovascular exercise in almost any
location. For example, the user would be able to use the present
invention while walking from one area in a building, such as a
house, office or gym, to another. In addition, since the discs are
easily transportable, a user could take them along while traveling
on business or vacation and engage in a simple, low impact form of
exercise.
[0023] The wings 4 on the bottom 3 of the discs would prevent the
user's feet from drifting apart, because the wings are not covered
with the slippery tape 8. The thickness of the wings would be small
enough, when compressed by the user's weight, to provide very
little drag when the discs are being moved in a forward direction.
However, the length of the wings would provide a greater surface
area and, therefore, provide enough of a drag to prevent unwanted
sideways movement of the discs. The bottom surface, that is more
slippery than the top surface, extends only across a width of the
bottom surface between the two projections.
[0024] Although the Exercise Discs and the method of using the same
according to the present invention has been described in the
foregoing specification with considerable details, it is to be
understood that modifications may be made to the invention which do
not exceed the scope of the appended claims and modified forms of
the present invention done by others skilled in the art to which
the invention pertains will be considered infringements of this
invention when those modified forms fall within the claimed scope
of this invention.
* * * * *