U.S. patent application number 09/799899 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-29 for variable resistance exercise device.
Invention is credited to Nette, Terry Van.
Application Number | 20010046928 09/799899 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26882762 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010046928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nette, Terry Van |
November 29, 2001 |
Variable resistance exercise device
Abstract
A variable resistance exercise device is used by swimmers to
hold them in place while swimming and to give the swimmer
progressive resistance during the swim. The device is also usable
on land and has a housing with an upper pulley and a lower pulley
as well as an upper roller and a lower roller. A tension cord is
attached to a shaft, the working length of the cord being
changeable, and passes over the upper roller and the lower pulley
while a rope is attached to the cord and passes over the upper
pulley and has an attachment hook on its end for attaching to a
swimmer or an exercise accessory. The attachment hook can also be
attached to a lower rope that passes over the lower roller and has
a hook on its end.
Inventors: |
Nette, Terry Van; (Longwood,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Peter Loffler
1546-1 Metropolitan Boulevard
Tallahassee
FL
32308
US
|
Family ID: |
26882762 |
Appl. No.: |
09/799899 |
Filed: |
March 6, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60187148 |
Mar 6, 2000 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/55 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/00069 20130101;
A63B 2208/0228 20130101; A63B 21/4009 20151001; A63B 21/0552
20130101; A63B 21/154 20130101; A63B 21/156 20130101; A63B 21/0442
20130101; A63B 69/12 20130101; A63B 21/0557 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/55 |
International
Class: |
A63B 031/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A variable resistance exercise device comprising: a housing; an
upper pulley rotatably attached to the housing; a lower pulley
rotatably attached to the housing; an upper roller rotatably
attached to the housing; a resilient tension cord having a working
length, a first end attached to the housing, and a second end, the
tension cord passing over the upper roller and the lower pulley; a
first rope having a third end attached to second end of the cord
and a fourth end, the first rope passing over the upper pulley; and
a first hook attached to the fourth end of the first rope and
located external of the housing.
2. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 1 further
comprising means for varying the working length of the tension
cord.
3. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 2 wherein
the means for varying the working length is comprised of: a first
opening having a slot, and a corresponding second opening located
on the housing; a shaft having a pin passing through a third
opening, the shaft receivable within the first opening and the
second opening with the pin receivable within the slot; and wherein
the first end of the tension cord is attached to the shaft is
windable about the shaft.
4. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 3 further
comprising a pair of caps, each attached to an end of the
shaft.
5. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 1 further
comprising: a first opening having a slot, and a corresponding
second opening located on the housing; a shaft having a pin passing
through a third opening, the shaft receivable within the first
opening and the second opening with the pin receivable within the
slot; and wherein the first end of the tension cord is attached to
the shaft is windable about the shaft.
6. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 5 further
comprising a pair of caps, each attached to an end of the
shaft.
7. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 1 further
comprising: a second hook attached to the housing; a lower roller
rotatably attached to the housing; a second rope having a looped
fifth end removably attachable to the first hook, and a a sixth
end, the second rope passing over the lower roller; and a third
hook attached to the sixth end of the second rope.
8. The variable resistance exercise device as in claim 1 further
comprising a pliable cover attached to the first rope for removably
covering the first hook.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
patent application No. 60/187,148 filed on Mar. 6, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a variable resistance
exercise device that can be used within a swimming pool as well as
on land in order to perform a variety of tension-based
exercises.
[0004] 2. Background of the Prior Art
[0005] Swimming has long been recognized as an excellent all round
exercising method for both muscular toning and development as well
as cardiovascular improvement. As swimming is a non-impact physical
endeavor, it is gentle on the bones and joints of the swimmer
allowing an individual, even one suffering from arthritis or other
ailments, to exercise substantially longer relative to impact
exercises such as running, without undue impact on the bones and
joints.
[0006] The common technique employed by many swimmers is to simply
swim laps back and forth from one end of the swimming pool to the
other. While lap swimming is a good exercising routine, it has
certain drawbacks. The only main variable that a lap swimmer
controls is speed through the water. An increase in swimming speed
increases the heart rate but does not offer a substantial gain to
the swimmer desirous of muscle development. Additionally, a lap
swimmer desires to swim a long distance before having to make a
turn and many swimmers have relatively small swimming pools making
the swimming of laps very difficult if not near impossible.
[0007] In order to overcome the drawbacks associated with
traditional lap swimming, various devices and techniques have been
proposed. Some such devices allow an individual to experience
greater resistance during a swim than the resistance offered by the
water alone. Additional prior art devices allow a swimmer to remain
relatively stationary within a body of water so that turning at the
end of the body of water is eliminated, in order to overcome
problem of a relatively small size of the body of water. However,
the problem with some of the prior art devices and techniques is
their inability to overcome all of the problems encountered by a
swimmer who is desirous of a total swimming workout while other
prior art devices and techniques are unduly complex in design and
construction and are relatively difficult to install and use.
[0008] Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a device that
overcomes the above-stated shortcomings in the art by providing a
device that allows a user to increase the resistance experienced
during swimming. A swimmer employing such a device must be able to
use the device in very small bodies of water without the need to
perform turns within the body of water. Such a device must be of
relatively simple design and construction and must be easy to
install and use. Ideally, such a device will provide versatility to
a user by allowing the user to perform various exercises with the
device on land.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The variable resistance exercise device of the present
invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art.
Specifically, the device allows a swimmer to variably increase the
resistance experienced during a swim relative to the resistance
offered by the water alone. The variable resistance exercise device
holds the swimmer stationary so that the device can be used in very
small bodies of water without the necessity of the swimmer
performing frequent turns. The present invention is of relatively
simple design and construction and is easy to use and install. The
device allows a user to perform a plethora of exercises on
land.
[0010] The variable resistance exercise device of the present
invention is comprised of a housing having an upper pulley
rotatably attached to the housing and a lower pulley rotatably
attached to the housing. An upper roller is also rotatably attached
to the housing. A resilient tension cord has a working length, a
first end attached to the housing, and a second end, such that the
tension cord passes over the upper roller and the lower pulley. A
first rope has a third end attached to the second end of the cord
and a fourth end and passes over the upper pulley. A first hook is
attached to the fourth end of the first rope and is located
external of the housing. A first opening having a slot, and a
corresponding second opening are located on the housing. A shaft
has a pin passing through a third opening therethrough, with the
shaft being receivable within the first opening and the second
opening with the pin being receivable within the slot so as prevent
rotation of the shaft. The first end of the tension cord is
attached to the shaft and is windable about the shaft. A pair of
caps are provided and each cap is attached to an end of the shaft.
A second hook is attached to the housing while a lower roller is
rotatably attached to the housing. A second rope having a looped
fifth end that is removably attachable to the first hook, and a a
sixth end and passes over the lower roller. A third hook is
attached to the sixth end of the second rope. A pliable cover is
attached to the first rope for removably covering the first
hook.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the variable resistance
exercise device.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side sectioned view of the variable resistance
exercise device.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the variable resistance
exercise device with portions removed for brevity and clarity.
[0014] Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout
the several views of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the variable
resistance exercise device is comprised of a housing 25 having a
forward facing upper opening 27 and lower opening 43 and
corresponding rearward facing upper fastener opening 29 and lower
fastener opening 30 respectively.
[0016] An upper assembly is comprised of an upper pulley yoke 1
which rotatably holds an upper pulley 2 by passing an appropriate
fastener 6 through openings located on the yoke 1 and through the
upper pulley 2 such that the upper pulley 2 rotates about the
fastener. A first pair of attachment links 3 trap the upper pulley
yoke 1 between them. A roller bracket 4 is secured to the lower
attachment link 3 by passing an appropriate fastener 8 through an
opening located on the roller bracket 4 as well as through forward
openings located on each of the first pair of attachment links 3.
An upper roller 5 is rotatably secured within the roller bracket 4
by passing an appropriate fastener through openings located on the
roller bracket 4 and the through the upper roller 5 such that the
upper roller rotates about this fastener. This entire upper
assembly is disposed within the housing such that the upper pulley
2 protrudes through the upper opening 27 with the attachment links
3 protruding through the upper fastener opening 29. An upper
mounting bracket 21 is attached to a fixed object such as a post or
other surface (wall, etc.,) and the first pair of attachment links
3 are secured to the upper mounting bracket 21 by sandwiching the
upper mounting bracket 21 between the first pair of attachment
links 3 and passing an appropriate fastener 24 through the mounting
bracket 21, the first pair of attachment links 3 and the post or
other surface. The fastener 24 allows for pivotable attachment of
the first pair of attachment links 3 with respect to the upper
mounting bracket 21 about the fastener 24. A fastener 28 is passed
through openings located on the housing 25 and the upper pulley
yoke 1 in order to help stabilize the upper assembly in place. An
end cap 26 is placed on the top of the housing 25.
[0017] A lower assembly is comprised of a lower pulley yoke 9 which
rotatably holds a lower pulley 10 by passing an appropriate
fastener 6 through openings located on the yoke 9 and through the
pulley 10 such that the lower pulley 10 rotates about the fastener
6. A second pair of attachment links 11 trap the lower pulley yoke
9 between them. A bracket 17 is secured to the lower attachment
link 11 by passing an appropriate fastener 13 through a forward
opening located on each of the second pair of attachment links 11
as well as through a rearward opening located on the bracket 17. An
outside roller bracket 14 rotatably holds an lower roller 15 by
passing an appropriate fastener 16 through openings located on the
outside roller bracket 14 as well as through the lower roller 15
such that the lower roller 15 rotates about this fastener 16. The
entire lower assembly is disposed within the housing 25 such that
the lower roller 15 extends from the lower opening 43 and the
second pair of attachment links 11 protrude through lower fastener
opening 30. A lower mounting bracket 22, vertically aligned with
the upper mounting bracket 21, is also attached to a fixed object
such as the post or other surface and the second pair of attachment
links 11 are secured to the lower mounting bracket 22 by
sandwiching the lower mounting bracket 22 between the second pair
of attachment links 11 and passing an appropriate fastener 23
through the mounting bracket 22, the second pair of attachment
links 11 and the post or other surface. The fastener 23 allows for
pivotable attachment of the second pair of attachment links 11 with
respect lower mounting bracket 22 device with respect to the post
or other surface about the fastener 23. A fastener 13 is passed
through a forward opening of the bracket 17 and through the bottom
of the housing 25 in order to help stabilize the lower assembly in
place.
[0018] A shaft 19 having a first opening 12 and a second opening 31
passes through a pair of corresponding openings 44 located on the
housing 25, one of the openings 44 having a slot 32 therein. A pin
20 is inserted through the first opening 12 and the shaft 19 is
passed through the openings 44 located on the housing 25 until the
pin 20 is received within the slot 32 of one of the openings 44
located on the housing 25 which prevents rotation of the shaft 19.
End caps 18 are placed on either end of the shaft 19 to prevent
shifting of the shaft 19. The shaft 19 is now held fixedly in place
and is not free to rotate.
[0019] A first end of a resilient tension cord 33 is passed through
the second opening 31 of the shaft 19 and is secured in placed by
either knotting this end of the cord 33 or by attaching an
appropriate stop device 34 to this end. The cord 33 passes over the
upper roller 5 and then extends down through the housing 25 and
passes over the lower pulley 10. A rope 35 is attached to the
second end of the cord 33 by knotting the two 33 and 35 together or
by using an appropriate attachment device 36. The rope 35 extends
upwardly through the housing 25 and passes over the upper pulley 2
and exits the housing 25 through upper opening 27. An attachment
hook 37 is secured to the end of the rope 35. The hook 37 can be
covered by an appropriate pliable guard 38.
[0020] An upper hook 42 is attached to the housing 25. An lower
cord 41 has a looped first end which can be removably secured to
the upper hook 42, the lower cord 41 passing over lower roller 15.
A lower hook 42 is attached to the opposing end of the lower cord
41.
[0021] In order to use the variable resistance exercise device of
the present invention, the attachment hook 37 is secured to a swim
belt (not illustrated) of a swimmer. The swimmer, attached to the
device, enters the water and begins swimming. The device holds the
swimmer in place while the swimmer is swimming. If the swimmer
begins to swim harder, the tension cord 33 provides progressive
resistance allowing for a stronger workout. As the device is
swivelly attached to the mounting brackets 21 and 22, the swimmer
can deviate to the left or to the right with the device swiveling
in response.
[0022] If desired, an appropriate attachment device, such as a lat
bar, triceps rope, etc., can be attached to the attachment hook 37
in order to use the device on land for lat pull downs, tricep
curls, etc. Additionally, the looped end of the lower cord 41 can
be attached to the attachment hook 37 and an appropriate attachment
device is attached to the lower hook 42 in order to perform
appropriate exercises such as seated rows, bicep curls, shoulder
lifts, etc.
[0023] The overall tension of the tension cord 33 can be changed by
removing one of the end caps 18 from the shaft 19 (the end cap 18
that on the opposing side of slot 32), and the shaft 19 is moved so
that pin 20 is removed from the slot 32. The shaft 19 is rotated so
as to wind a length of the cord onto the shaft 19, and the shaft 19
is reinserted so that pin 20 is again received within slot 32 and
the end cap 18 is replaced. The overall working length of the
tension cord 33 is now shorter so that the any exercise performed
using the device will give the user greater resistance and an
overall greater workout. If tension on the cord 33 is to be
decreased, the above process is repeated to allow a length of the
cord 33 to be unwound from the shaft 19.
[0024] While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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