U.S. patent application number 11/349616 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-09 for exercise device.
Invention is credited to George Bradley.
Application Number | 20070184950 11/349616 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38334747 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070184950 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bradley; George |
August 9, 2007 |
Exercise device
Abstract
An exercise device is disclosed. The exercise device includes a
planar base having a top side, and a stem mounted on the top side
of the base and having a clamp. The exercise device further
includes a handlebar mounted in the clamp at an axis parallel to
the top side of the base. The handlebar has ends extending at an
upsweep and a backsweep relative to the axis. In this
configuration, the exercise device is accommodative of particular
anatomical arrangements, such as hand position, and improves the
performance of a pushup by a user, especially for sports-specific
training.
Inventors: |
Bradley; George; (San Diego,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON, PC
P.O. BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Family ID: |
38334747 |
Appl. No.: |
11/349616 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/141 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/4035 20151001;
A63B 21/00047 20130101; A63B 23/12 20130101; A63B 23/1236
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/141 |
International
Class: |
A63B 26/00 20060101
A63B026/00 |
Claims
1. An exercise device comprising: a planar base having a top side;
a handlebar connected with the base at an axis parallel to the top
side of the base, the handlebar having ends extending at an upsweep
and a backsweep relative to the axis.
2. An exercise device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
handlebar is connected with the base by a stem mounted on the top
side of the base.
3. An exercise device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the stem
includes a clamp in which the handlebar is mounted and aligned with
the axis.
4. An exercise device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
handlebar further includes a handgrip on each end.
5. An exercise device in accordance with claim 1, wherein each end
of the handlebar includes two bends.
6. An exercise device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
upsweep and the backsweep each have an angle of between 1 and 45
degrees.
7. An exercise device comprising a planar base having a top side; a
stem mounted on the top side of the base and having a clamp; a
handlebar mounted in the clamp at an axis parallel to the top side
of the base, the handlebar having ends extending at an upsweep and
a backsweep relative to the axis.
8. An exercise device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the
handlebar further includes a handgrip on each end.
9. An exercise device in accordance with claim 7, wherein each end
of the handlebar includes two bends.
10. An exercise device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the
upsweep and the backsweep each have an angle of between 1 and 45
degrees.
11. An exercise device comprising a planar base having a top side;
a stem mounted on the top side of the base, the stem having a
clamp; a handlebar having a middle portion and two side portions,
the middle portion being mounted in the clamp, and each side
portion having at least one bend to position an end of the side
portion at an upsweep and a backsweep relative to an axis parallel
to the top side of the base and extending horizontally through the
middle portion of the handlebar.
12. An exercise device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
handlebar further includes a handgrip on each end of each side
portion.
13. An exercise device in accordance with claim 11, wherein each
side portion of the handlebar is formed in a compound angle to form
the upsweep and backsweep of each end.
14. An exercise device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
upsweep and the backsweep each have an angle of between 1 and 45
degrees.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] A pushup is one of the most basic forms of strength-building
exercises. In its basic form, the pushup includes putting oneself
in a position of lying flat on one's front side with the hands
palm-side-down under the shoulders, and pushing one's body up off
the floor until the arms are straight. The basic pushup, however,
causes the hands to bend backwards relative to the arm and puts a
great deal of strain on one's wrists.
[0002] Many devices exist to improve the basic pushup exercise.
Some of these devices include two handles, one for each hand and
usually in an inverted U-shape configuration, that enable a user to
keep their wrists straight while grasping a handle to perform a
pushup. Other devices include a straight bar that the user can
grasp at each end to perform a pushup at a slight height above a
resting surface.
SUMMARY
[0003] An exercise device for performing a pushup is disclosed. The
exercise device, in accordance with various embodiments, includes a
handlebar having handles that are swept up and back from an axis
that is parallel to a plane of a resting surface, which axis is
also perpendicular to an axis running from the feet through the
head of a user in a resting position on the resting surface.
[0004] In one aspect, an exercise device includes a planar base
having a top side, and a handlebar connected with the base at an
axis parallel to the top side of the base. The handlebar has ends
extending at an upsweep and a backsweep relative to the axis.
[0005] In another aspect, an exercise device includes a planar base
having a top side, and a stem mounted on the top side of the base.
The stem includes a clamp. The exercise device further includes a
handlebar having a middle portion and two side portions. The middle
portion is mounted in the clamp, and each side portion has at least
one bend, or more preferably is formed as a compound angle, to
position the end of the side portion at an upsweep and a backsweep
relative to an axis that is parallel to the top side of the base
and that extends horizontally through the middle portion of the
handlebar.
[0006] The exercise devices disclosed herein has advantages of
being more anatomically accommodating to a user, and simple to
assemble. The exercise devices reduce stress on a user's wrists,
and improve the quality and muscle-building function of a pushup
exercise. The exercise device disclosed herein is also well-suited
for sports-specific training, such as for cycling, for example.
[0007] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the
accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and
advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and
from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] These and other aspects will now be described in detail with
reference to the following drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1A is a top-down view of an exercise device.
[0010] FIG. 1B is a side view of an exercise device.
[0011] FIGS. 2A-D show different views of an exemplary exercise
device that can be used for performing a pushup.
[0012] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] This document describes various embodiments of an exercise
device for performing a pushup exercise. FIG. 1A is a top-down view
and FIG. 1B is a side view of an exercise device 100. As shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B, the exercise device 100 includes a planar base 102
having a top side 103, and a handlebar 104 connected with the base
102 at an axis a that is parallel to the top side 103 of the base
102 and perpendicular to an axis from the feet through the head of
a user using the exercise device 100.
[0014] The handlebar 104 includes ends 106 that extend from the
handlebar 104 at an upsweep and a backsweep relative to the axis
.alpha.. The upsweep is an angle .mu. that is between 1 and 45
degrees, and the backsweep is an angle .beta. that is between 1 and
45 degrees. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, angle .mu. and
angle .beta. are between 3 and 15 degrees. The ends 106 can include
handgrips, such as foam or rubber grips that are slid onto each end
106, that a user can grasp when executing a pushup with the
exercise device 100.
[0015] Embodiments of an exercise device 100 further include a stem
108 that is connected with the base 102, preferably on a central
region of the top side 103 of the base 102. The stem 108 can
include a clamp 110, in which a center portion 105 of the handlebar
104 is mounted and clamped, to position equal-sized side portions
107 of the handlebar 104 on opposite sides of the stem 108. The
stem 108 can be attached to the base 102 by one or more screws or
bolts; likewise, the clamp 110 can clamp down on the handlebar 104
by one or more screws or bolts. Each side portion 107 can be formed
into a compound angle, for structural integrity as well as provide
the desired anatomically-correct position for handgrips.
[0016] The base 102 is preferably made of planarized, rigid
material, such as aluminum, steel, hardened plastic, or a composite
fiber material such as carbon kevlar or the like. The handlebar 104
is preferably made of a tubular, rigid material such as aluminum,
steel, hardened plastic or composite fiber or the like. The
handlebar 104 can include one or more bends that are formed on each
side portion 107 to place the ends 106 in the backsweep and upsweep
orientation. Likewise, the stem 108 and its clamp 110 is preferably
made of a rigid supportive material such as aluminum, steel, carbon
kevlar, etc.
[0017] FIGS. 2A-D show different views of an exemplary exercise
device 200. The exercise device 200 includes a planar base 202, a
handlebar 204 mounted with the base 202, and ends 206 of the
handlebar 204 arranged at an upsweep and a backsweep relative to an
axis a shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. The handlebar 204 can be mounted
in a clamp 210 that is provided on a stem 208 that in turn is
connected to the top surface of the base 202.
[0018] The handlebar 204 includes one or more bends 205 on each
side, to provide structural strength and rigidity for the handlebar
204, and also to arrange the ends 206 at the upsweep and backsweep
orientations. The ends 206 of the handlebar 204 can include a hand
grip or other mechanism that a user can grasp in order to perform a
pushup.
[0019] Although a few embodiments have been described in detail
above, other modifications are possible. For example, the handlebar
can be mounted directly to the planar base. Alternatively, the
handlebar can be formed of two pieces, each being mounted to the
planar base to provide an end in an upsweep and backsweep as
described above. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *