GB2361876A

GB2361876A - Ring exerciser with moveable weight therein

Info

Publication number: GB2361876A
Application number: GB0010615A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wen-Pin Hsu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-04-28
Filing date: 2000-05-04
Publication date: 2001-11-07
Also published as: FR2808451B3; DE20007600U1; GB0010615D0; FR2808451A3

Abstract

An exerciser has an annular channel 14B, a weight member 20 slidably received in the channel 14B, such that when the user rotates the exerciser, the weight 20 slides along the channel 14B for an exercising effect. The weight may be a ball 20 or a sliding block (fig 8). The exerciser may be in the form of a ring (figs 1, 4, 5, 8), may have a plate 15B with handles/holes 18B centrally of the ring, and may have a toy maze centrally of the channel 14B. In addition to the ball 20 in the peripheral channel 14B, a ball 155B may moveable around the maze. The channel 14B may have a circular cross-section, and ribs (fig 3) for the ball 20 to roll on to reduce rolling noise. The sliding block (fig 8) may be arcuate, having the same degree of curvature as the channel. The user can thus apply a rotary force to the exerciser by moving their arms or twisting their waist, and the exerciser can be used horizontally or vertically. The maze may have a central rotary wheel 154B.

Description

2361876 EXERCISER HAVING A WEIGHT MEMBER SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN AN ANNULAR

CHANNEL THAT IS FORMED IN A HANDHELD HOUSING The invention relates to an exerciser which has a weight member slidably received in an annular channel that is formed in a handheld housing, which has a relatively simple structure, and which can be operated with ease.

Conventional exercisers generally have a relatively complicated structure and a relatively large size, thus occupying a relatively large amount of space and having a relatively high price. As such, there is always a need for an exerciser which can be operated with ease and which has a relatively simple structure and a relatively small size without the need for a relatively large amount of space.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser that can be held by the hands of the user and that can be operated with ease.

Accordingly, the exerciser of the present invention includes a housing and a weight member. The housing is formed with an annular channel, and is adapted to be gripped by at least one hand of the user. The weight member is slidably received in the annular channel. The housing is adapted to rotate with said at least one hand of the user for causing the weight member to slide along the annular channel so as to achieve an exercising 2 effect.

other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the exerciser of the present invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating a housing of the exerciser of the first preferred embodiment; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment; Figure 4 illustrates how the firstpreferred embodiment can be operated by the user in a f irst exercising mode; Figure 5 illustrates how the first preferred embodiment can be operated by the user in a second exercising mode; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the exerciser of the present invention; Figure 7 illustrates how the second preferred embodiment can be operated by the user; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the exerciser of the present invention; and Figure 9 is a schematic view illustrating a fourth preferred embodiment of the exerciser of the present 3 invention.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the first preferred embodiment of the exerciser 100 of the present invention is shown to include a housing 10 and a weight member 20.

The housing 10 is formed from complementary lower and upper housing parts 11, 12. The lower housing part 11 has an annular lower channel defining wall 111 with a semi-circular cross section that opens upwardly. The upper housing part 12 has an annular upper channel is defining wall 121 with a semi-circular cross section that opens downwardly. The upper housing part 12 is superimposed on the lower housing part 11 such that the upper and lower channel defining walls 121, 111 cooperatively form a hollow ring portion 13, and cooperatively confine an annular channel 14 with a substantially circular cross section. The ring portion 13 is adapted to be gripped by at least one hand of the user. The upper housing part 12 is formed with engaging rims 125 that project downwardly from inner and outer edges of the upper channel defining wall 121 and that extend into corresponding engaging grooves 116 formed in inner and outer edges of the lower channel defining 4 wall 111 of the lower housing part 11. The lower housing part 11 is formed with engaging rims 115 that project upwardly from the inner and outer edges of the lower channel defining wall ill and that extend into corresponding engaging grooves 126 formed in inner and outer edges of the upper channel defining wall 121 of the upper housing part 12. The upper and lower housing parts 12, 11 further have fastening protrusions 127, 117 at the inner and outer edges of the upper and lower channel defining walls 121, 111. The fastening protrusions 127, 117 are formed with aligned fastener holes 128, 118, and are fastened together by means of screw fasteners 16 that extend through the fastener holes 128, 118. The upper and lower channel defining walls 121, ill have confronting surfaces which cooperatively f orm a channel def ining surf ace 13 1 that confines the annular channel 14, and which are formed with a plurality of radially and inwardly projecting ribs 124, 114. The ribs 124, 114 extend along the length of the channel 14 and have rounded tip portions.

The weight member 20 is spherical in shape in the present embodiment, and is slidably received in the annular channel 14. The weight member 20 has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the cross-section of the annular channel 14, and is in contact with the tip portions of the ribs 124, 114. During assembly, the weight member 20 is disposed between the upper and lower channel defining walls 121, 111 before the upper and lower housing parts 12, 11 are fastened together.

Referring to Figure 4, to perform an exercise using the exerciser 100 of the present embodiment in a first exercising mode, the exerciser 100 is disposed in a horizontal orientation. The hands of the user grip opposite lateral parts of the ring portion 13 of the housing 10, and apply a rotary driving force to the housing 10 to cause the housing 10 to rotate about the axis of the ring portion 13, which axis is vertical in this case. The user may apply the rotary driving force either by moving his/her arms or by twisting his/her waist. Upon rotation of the housing 10, the weight member 20 is caused to slide along the annular channel 14, and causes the housing 10 to vibrate due to the inertial and centrifugal forces applied thereon. At this time, the user may move the exerciser 10 0 to contact his/her body to allow the vibration of the housing 10 to stimulate both arm and body muscles of his/her body.

Referring to Figure 5, in a second exercising mode, the exerciser 100 is disposed in a vertical orientation, and is held by the hands of the user at opposite lateral parts of the ring portion 13. Similarly, the user applies a rotary driving force to cause the housing 10 to rotate about the axis of the ring portion 13, which axis is horizontal in this case, in order to exercise his/her arms.

6 Referring to Figure 6, in a second preferred embodiment, the housing 10A has a hollow ring portion 13A with a radial inner edge 131A proximate to an axis of the ring portion 13A, and a circular plate portion 15 surrounded by the ring portion 13 and having a peripheral part 151 connected to the annular inner edge 131A of the ring portion 13A. The circular plate portion has a central hand grip portion 18Awhich is connected to the peripheral part 151 by means of a plurality of radially extending connecting strips 17A. The hand grip portion 18A is adapted to be gripped by one hand of the user, and is formed with four finger openings 181Awhich are adapted for extension of the fingers on the hand of the user. As with the previous embodiment, the ring portion 13A confines an annular channel which has a weight member 20A (see Figure 7) slidably received therein. Referring to Figure 7, in one exercising mode, the exerciser 100A is gripped by one hand of the user at the hand grip portion 18A, and is disposed in a generally vertical orientation. The user applies a rotary driving force to the exerciser 100A to exercise his/her arm.

Referring to Figure 8, in a third preferred embodiment, the weight member 20, is formed as a curved block with a degree of curvature conforming with that of the annular channel 14, and is slidably received in the annular channel 14.

7 Referring to Figure 9, in the exerciser 100B of the fourth preferred embodiment, the housing IOB has a hollow ring portion 133 which confines an annular channel 14B therein for receiving a spherical weight member 20, and a circular plate portion 15B which has a peripheral part connected to a radial inner edge of the ring portion 13B. The peripheral part of the circular plate portion 15B is formed with a pair of finger openings 18B which are adapted for extension of the fingers on the hands of the user when the latter grip the ring portion 13B. The circular plate portion 15B has a top side formed with a maze cavity 151B and provided with a toy maze which includes a plurality of passage defining walls 152B that define a plurality of passages 153D in the maze cavity 151B. A ball member 155D is disposed in the maze cavity 151B, and is movable along the passages 153B. A rotary wheel 15413 is mounted at a central part of the circular plate portion 15B within the maze cavity 1512, and allows the ball member 155B to change its route of movement in the maze cavity 151B.

It is noted that, with the provision of the radially and inwardly projecting ribs 124, 114 in the annular channel 14, as shown in Figure 3, the noise attributed to sliding movement of the weight member 20 in the channel 14 can be significantly reduced.

8 Accordingly, the present invention provides a handheld exerciser which has a relativelysimple structure and which can be operated with ease for exercising and stimulating muscles of different body parts of the user.

9

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An exerciser comprising:

a housing formed with an annular channel and adapted to be gripped by at least one hand of the user; and a weight member slidably received in said annular channel; said housing being adapted to rotate with said at least one hand of the user for causing said weight member to slide along said annular channel so as to achieve an exercising effect.

2. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said housing includes a hollow ring portion that confines said annular channel.

3. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said is ring portion is adapted to be gripped by said at least one hand of the user.

4. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said ring portion has an axis and an annular inner edge proximate to said axis, said housing further including a circular plate portion with a peripheral part connected to said annular inner edge of said ring portion.

5. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said circular plate portion has one side formed with a toy maze.

6. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said one side of said circular plate portion is formed with a maze cavity, said toy maze including a plurality of passage defining walls that define a plurality of passages in said maze cavity, and a ball member disposed in said maze cavity and movable along said passages.

7. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said peripheral part of said circular plate portion is formed with at least one finger opening adapted for extension of the fingers on said at least one hand of the user when said at least one hand of the user grips said ring portion.

8. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said ring portion has an axis and an annular inner edge proximate to said axis, said housing further including a hand grip portion surrounded by said ring portion and adapted to be gripped by said at least one hand of the user, and a plurality of radially extending connecting portions interconnecting said hand grip portion and said inner edge of said ring portion, said hand grip portion being formed with a plurality of finger openings adapted for extension of the fingers on said at least one hand of the user.

9. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said housing has a channel defining surface that confines said annular channel and that is formed with a plurality of radially and inwardly projecting ribs, said ribs extending along the length of said annular channel and being in contact with said weight member.

1 1

10. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said annular channel has a circular cross-section.

11. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said weight member is spherical in shape.

12. The exerciser as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said weight member is formed as a curved block with a degree of curvature that conforms with that of said annular channel.

13. The exerciser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.