WO2006115822A2

WO2006115822A2 - Exercise device

Info

Publication number: WO2006115822A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/014032
Authority: WO
Original assignee: Yewer, Edward, H., Jr.
Priority date: 2005-04-21
Filing date: 2006-04-13
Publication date: 2006-11-02
Also published as: WO2006115822A3

Abstract

A medicine ball exercise device has an elongated round shape with a handle at each end to provide an unstable training environment for a user to develop core body strength, balance and stability. The device is fillable with a granular or liquid material to add weight, can contain an object that may be weighted and may be suspended or free, and the object may be a gyroscope. The device may be hard or soft, opaque or transparent and may be hollow or solid, and can be shaped so as to stand on end to be filled and for storage. The device may also have one or more facet surfaces.

Description

EXERCISE DEVICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 60/673,406 filed April 21, 2005.

STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to exercise devices, and in particular to medicine ball type exercise devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Medicine balls are well known and typically are made of a covering such as rubber or leather filled with a heavy material such as sand or it could be a plastic or other moldable material. Medicine balls with handles are also known, being described for example in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0087728 Al. The medicine ball defined therein has two handles on opposite sides of the ball with a thick inner layer and a thinner outer layer, and an air chamber within the inner layer.

[0005] In some exercise regimens, unstable training environments are sought. Sometimes referred to as stability training, it is known that unstable training environments can enhance athletic performance by developing stability, balance and core and extremity muscles.

[0006] Unstable training environments can be provided by known types of exercise devices such as inflatable soft plastic balls that are used in different core fitness exercise programs. Another is a medicine ball, that is typically thrown around, lifted, or generally moved around to increase strength and coordination. In general, the known exercise devices are spherical balls. A problem can arise that when forcing the ball against a flat surface, for example when doing push-ups on top of it with the ball against the floor, the ball can be unstable because it balances on a point or small area and tends to rock. While this may be desirable to some users because it requires flexing of abdominal muscles to stabilize the device, others may find it too unstable. In addition, the exercise uses of medicine balls have been somewhat limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a medicine ball exercise device that can be used by trainers and trainees to provide a new and useful unstable training environment for exercise purposes. The invention provides an exercise device that is an elongated curved shape. The oblong shape moderates the rocking motion that a spherical shape has a tendency to exhibit. It also gives more room between the handles, which advantageously opens up the user's chest when holding it with both hands, without making the ball inordinately large.

[0008] A device of the invention targets core stability by providing a medium through which users can make their deep trunk stabilizer muscles react to changing loads. The device requires trunk and extremity muscles to work in both concentric (muscle shortening for force generation) and eccentric (muscle lengthening for force generation) activation patterns. The device is dynamic, so it adds an element of movement to stabilization and balance exercises. The device can be used to provide a total body workout that is adjustable to the user's level of fitness.

[0009] A device of the invention preferably has handles at opposite ends which could either be integrally molded with the device or could be externally applied to the ends of the device. The body of the device could be plastic, rubber, leather, wood or another material, and could be a heavy material inside of a covering, for example, of plastic, rubber or leather, and could also have an air chamber inside of the device if desired. [0010] A device of the invention can be used for many of the same purposes as a medicine ball or exercise ball, but is especially well-adapted to be used with push-up positions to help develop balance, core strength, and the back and shoulders. The handles on each end of the device can be grasped by a person doing push-ups and help to stabilize the device.

[0011] A device of the invention could be made in different sizes, for example 10, 15, and 20 pound versions. The device could be rubber filled with sand, or it may be preferable to make it of a more rigid plastic, perhaps foam filled, at least in part, so the device holds its shape better when doing push-ups than if it is made with a softer shell. An exercise device of the invention may be any elongated curved shape with curvature in at least one direction, including cylindrical, oblong including oval or other non-round circular shape. It can also be three dimensionally curved on one half or section, and provided with facets or one or more surfaces that are straight in at least one direction to provide additional stability in that direction when placed on a flat surface. For example, the facet surfaces may be curved longitudinally (from end to end) or laterally (around the middle; between the ends).

[0012] In addition, the device can be provided with an opening and a cover, such as a plug, for the opening, so the user can fill it with, or empty it of, a material of choice, e.g., sand, water, seeds, powder, ball bearings, beads, bean bags, gel, putty, stones, etc. to the desired weight. Air space can be left in the ball so that the material can shift around and rebound off of or stick to the walls, thereby causing instability and the need for the user to flex and tense their muscles to react against the instability, resulting in balance development and core muscle group exercise.

[0013] Alternatively, a ball or another larger object can be placed inside a device of the invention, with the object bouncing around inside the device creating instability and the need for the user to overcome the instability. The object may be suspended within the device elastically. The object may be a gyroscope device, that creates instability in a pattern and is useful for exercise. The gyroscope may be powered by battery, wind-up or hand motion.

[0014] Alternatively, the device may have non-shifting weight or weights placed in it.

[0015] In another important aspect, the device is configured so that the it will stand up on end. This prevents the device from rolling around when it is set on a surface. Also, the opening for filling the device can be positioned so that when the device is placed on end with the opening up, a material can be poured into the device through the opening, or the material can be emptied from the opening when the device is stood on end with the opening down.

[0016] In another aspect, the shell of the device can be made transparent or have clear panels or windows to allow sighting the level of the contents of the shell.

[0017] The exterior shape of the device also preferably makes an aesthetically pleasing impression.

[0018] These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Fig. 1 is a side plan view of a person using an exercise device of the invention to do push-ups;

[0020] Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1;

[0021] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device;

[0022] Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device;

[0023] Fig. 5 is a side plan view of the device;

[0024] Fig. 6 is an end plan view of the device;

[0025] Fig. 7 is an end plan view of the other end of the device; [0026] Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the device;

[0027] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a ball inside the device, with a media shown in phantom;

[0028] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a media inside the device, with a second media shown in phantom;

[0029] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a ball inside the device supported elastically;

[0030] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a gyroscope fixed inside the device;

[0031] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the fill opening and plug;

[0032] Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the device standing up on end;

[0033] Fig. 15 is an end view of an alternative embodiment having seven facet surfaces extending longitudinally on its lower half;

[0034] Fig. 16 is an end view like Fig. 15 but of an alternative embodiment with only one facet surface extending longitudinally and centered relative to the handles and is positioned so as to run straight in the direction generally parallel to the plane of the handles;

[0035] Fig. 17 is a side view of an alternative embodiment in which a facet surface centered relative to the handles extends laterally, perpendicular to the direction of the facet surfaces of Figs. 15 and 16, and runs straight in the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction;

[0036] Fig. 18 is a view like Fig. 5 but of the embodiment of Fig. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0037] Figs. 1-8 illustrates a medicine ball exercise device 10 of the invention that is of an elongated or oblong round shape, being longer than it is wide. As such, the radius of curvature of the exterior surface of the device about the longitudinal axis is less than the radius of curvature of the exterior surface of the device about a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A handle 12 is provided at each longitudinal end of the device, both handles oriented in the same plane, which is a central plane of the device.

[0038] Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate how a user could use the device 10 to do push-ups. As shown, the user grasps the two handles 12, one in each hand, and rests the device 10 against the floor surface, with the floor contacting the central section of the device below and about halfway between the handles 12. The user, while continuing to grasp the handles 12, supports him or herself off of the floor using the device 10 so the device 10 must be sufficiently strong and stiff to support the weight of the user. Since the device 10 is generally circular in the middle, the device 10 can roll or rock somewhat so that the user can find the most comfortable angular position of the handles 12 with which to do push-ups. However, since the device 10 is longer from handle to handle in its longitudinal dimension than it is in diameter in the center, the device 10 has better stability from end to end than a spherically round ball shape that is circular in both the longitudinal and lateral planes. Thus, the handles 12 tend to stay in the same plane once the device 10 is situated by the user, although they still provide some instability for the user to react against.

[0039] Figs. 3-8 depict the medicine ball exercise device 10 of the invention. As can be seen in these figures, the device 10 is elongated round, being generally rounded in the middle and of a greater dimension from handle to handle than the dimension of the middle in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (longitudinal is from handle to handle). The device 10 as illustrated in Figs. 3-8 is curved in both a lateral plane, in which it is generally circular, and in a longitudinal plane, in which it is oblong. It is also noted that reliefs 14 are formed on each side of each handle 12 that provide for clearance between the wrists and forearms when a person is holding onto the handles 12 and doing push-ups. These reliefs 14 and the handles 12 are also positioned so that the device is self supporting on end when placed on a support surface as shown in Fig. 14, so that it doesn't roll around when so situated and to facilitate filling the device through opening 15 with a media of choice. The device 10 can also be stood on end with it's opening down, and be self-supporting, so as to facilitate emptying.

[0040] The device 10 can be made in any of a number of ways. It can be made with a skin or shell of plastic, rubber, leather, or another material, which could be filled with a natural or synthetic material. For example, the filling could be a plastic foam or if more weight is desired, it could be sand, water or another heavy material. Alternatively, it could be made of a more rigid plastic material which could be either foam filled or not or filled with a different material. Another alternative would be to make the device solid, for example, out of wood, plastic, or another such material. A pattern can be made on the exterior of the shell, for example a decorative pattern such as alligator skin. Alternatively, the shell could be made of a transparent plastic material for sighting the inside contents of the shell, or one or more transparent windows could be provided in an opaque shell to show the contents. Preferably, the shell of the device is made of a relatively hard and rigid plastic material such as linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, nylon or polypropylene, but other materials would work.

[0041] The handles could be integrally molded as illustrated in Figs. 4-8, or the handles could be attached by other means such as an adhesive or fasteners.

[0042] The device may also be made of a solid elastomeric material, for example, silicone, or some other elastomeric material.

[0043] It is preferable to make the device 10 of a significant weight, for example, 10, 15, 20 pounds ,or more. The device can then also be used for weight lifting and a variety of other core fitness exercises. [0044] The device may also include an interior chamber which may be pressurized with air, another gas, a liquid or not filled.

[0045] A medicine ball exercise device of the invention may be any elongated circular shape, including cylindrical, oblong or other non-round circular shape.

[0046] The ball can optionally be provided with an opening 15 and a cover 17, such as a plug, for the opening as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 9-14. If not provided, both ends of the device 10 would look like Fig. 7. This enables the user to fill it with, or empty it of, a media of choice, e.g., sand, water, seeds, powder, ball bearings, beads, bean bags, gel, putty, etc. to the desired weight and feel. Air space can be left in the ball so that the material can shift around and rebound off of or stick to the walls. The weight, rebound, and impact properties of the filling can be adjusted to cause the desired degree and type of instability to suit the user's preference. Such instability causes the user to flex and tense their muscles to react against the instability, resulting in development of the user's balance and core muscle group exercise. In this aspect, an exercise device of the invention could be other shapes other than non-round.

[0047] In addition, as illustrated in Fig. 9, a ball 30 or another large object can be placed inside a device of the invention, with the ball 30 bouncing or rolling around inside the device creating instability and the need for the user to overcome the instability. A media 32 shown in phantom in Fig. 9 such as water may also be placed inside the device 10 to further alter the inertia and impact felt by the user of the device 10 and the ball 30 and media 32 moving around inside the device 10. As illustrated in Fig. 10, two different media with different characteristics, for example sand 34 and water 36, can be placed inside the device 10 for a different set of properties to be experienced by the user.

[0048] As illustrated in Fig. 11, the object 40 may be suspended within the device 10 elastically. In Fig. 11, the object 40, a ball, is suspended by elastic bands 42 that are stretched from the object to the walls of the shell of the device 10, so as to support and suspend the object 40 spaced interiorly of the walls without the object touching the walls. The bands 42 can stretch to allow the ball to move around but to avoid sudden impact of the object with the walls. The object 40 can shift as its momentum changes, so as to create instability to be counter-acted by the user, but does not suddenly stop or change direction against the walls, for a lower impact workout.

[0049] An object 50 fixed inside the device 10 may be a gyroscope device as illustrated in Fig. 12. This also creates a low impact instability to be counteracted by the user. Exercise gyroscopic devices are well known and commercially available, and are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,800,311, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. These gyroscopes create a low impact instability in a pattern, which is useful for exercise. The gyroscope may be powered by battery, wind-up or hand motion. In addition, for more force, the gyroscope could be made larger, and for different exercises, the gyroscope could be oriented inside the device 10 relative to the handles 12 in a different orientation.

[0050] Alternatively, the device 10 may have non-shifting weight or weights placed in it.

[0051] Fig. 15 illustrates a variation 50 of the device in which the outer surface of the shell of the device is continuously curved longitudinally and laterally on the top half 51 and is discontinuously curved on the bottom half 52, having seven facet surfaces 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59 on the bottom half 52 that are straight in the circumferential or lateral direction and curved in the longitudinal direction, from end to end. Being straight in the lateral direction makes the device more stable in this direction, with it being more able to be rocked longitudinally (back and forth side to side) without rocking it laterally (fore and aft). If more instability fore and aft is desired, half 51 can be placed against the support surface, which can be rocked fore and aft, side to side and at all angles in between, having essentially point contact with the floor surface, rather than line contact as does side 52.

[0052] Fig. 16 illustrates a variant 60 on the embodiment of Fig. 15, having only a single facet surface 62.

[0053] Figs. 17 and 18 show a variant device 70 having a single facet surface 72 which is straight in the longitudinal direction and continuously curved in the lateral or circumferential direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. This device can be rocked back and forth easily while maintaining stability side to side with the surface 72 against the floor. This is like the device 60 in that the facet surface is straight in one direction and curves in the perpendicular direction, except the facet surface 72 extends laterally and is straight longitudinally, whereas the surface 62 extends longitudinally and is straight laterally.

[0054] A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail. Many modifications and variations to the preferred embodiment described will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the embodiment described.

Claims

I claim:

1. A medicine ball exercise device comprising an at least partially round body that is elongated along a longitudinal axis so as to define ends and a section between the ends for being supported by a flat support surface with the longitudinal axis of the device generally parallel to the support surface in atleast one orientation of the device and the device being able to be grasped by a user at the ends of the device, wherein the device is longer than it is wide and curves in at least one direction in at least a portion of the support section so as to be able to be rocked on said portion in at least one direction on the support surface while supporting a user from the ends.

2. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of the device curves about the longitudinal axis and about a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a radius of curvature of the exterior surface of the device about the longitudinal axis is less than a radius of curvature of the exterior surface of the device about the lateral axis.

3. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a handle at each end of the device.

4. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a center section of the device between the handles is generally circular in a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the device.

5. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is curved in the direction between the ends.

6. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is hollow.

7. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is solid.

8. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device has an exterior surface that is at least partially transparent.

9. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains weight.

10. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device has a hole for adding weight to the interior of the device.

11. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains a granular material.

12. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains liquid.

13. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains an object that can move around inside the device.

14. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains a resilient object that can move around inside the device.

15. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains an object that is suspended inside the device.

16. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains an object that is suspended inside the device by elastic suspension members.

17. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device contains a gyroscope device.

18. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device can stand up on end.

19. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device can stand up on end and when so standing on end has an opening at at least one end.

20. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one facet surface is formed on an exterior surface of the device, said facet surface being straight in at least one direction.

21. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the facet surface is straight in the longitudinal direction and curved in the lateral direction.

22. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the facet surface is straight in the lateral direction and curved in the longitudinal direction.

23. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the facet surface is centered relative to the ends.

24. A medicine ball exercise device as claimed in claim 20, wherein there are multiple facet surfaces on the device, and at least one of them is positioned to be resting against a horizontal support surface when the device is being used to perform push-ups.