US20020128121A1

US20020128121A1 - Ladder exercise system

Info

Publication number: US20020128121A1
Application number: US09/756,509
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Welch; Christine DiDonna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-08
Filing date: 2001-01-08
Publication date: 2002-09-12

Abstract

A ladder exercise system for providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body. The ladder exercise system includes a frame, an upper resistance unit attached to an upper portion of the frame, a pair of upper arms extending from the upper resistance unit having a pair of corresponding upper pegs, a lower resistance unit attached to a lower portion of the frame, and a pair of lower arms extending from the upper resistance unit having a pair of foot supports. A monitor is preferably in communication with the resistance units to monitor the workout for an exerciser. Movement of the lower resistance unit is completely independent of the upper resistance unit to provide a full body workout independently for the upper body and the lower body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to full body exercise machines and more specifically it relates to a ladder exercise system for providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body.

Consumers are increasingly seeking a full body workout in a shorter period of time than conventionally required. The exercise industry's response to this demand is the “full body” exercise machines that exercise both the upper body and the lower body simultaneously. However, the machines currently manufactured do not satisfy the workout needs of all individuals since the exerciser is able to “cheat” by using the stronger portions of the body (i.e. upper body or lower body). Hence, there is a need for a full body exercise machine that satisfies the needs of most individuals without sacrificing the overall quality of the workout achieved.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Exercise machines that provide a workout for the upper body and lower body simultaneously have been in use for years. Examples of such exercise machines include but are not limited to ladder machines (Model CL-108LX by VERSA CLIMBER), elliptical climbing machines (REEBOK BODY PEAK II), and cross trainers (NORDIC TRACK 900). All of these exercise machines provide an upper body and a lower body workout.

However, all the conventional full body exercise machines connect the movement of the upper body to the lower body thereby making the lower body movement “dependent” upon the upper body movement and vice versa. In other words, if the legs of the user are doing all of the work on the full body exercise machine the arms do not have to do any work. Unfortunately the exerciser is unaware of this “imbalance” in the workout and feels that they are providing an adequate workout for their upper body when in fact they are not.

Another problem with convention full body exercise machines is that if the user loses their timing while positioned upon the machine significant impact forces will be applied to the joints of the exercising thereby creating the possibility of temporary or permanent injuries. Another problem occurs for individuals that have an injury that they do not want rapid movements to occur in. Unfortunately since the upper body and lower body workout on conventional full body exercise machines are dependent upon each other, the exerciser is literally forced to move the injured part of their body at the appropriate speed to properly utilize the machine. Various other problems can be found with conventional full body exercise machines that should be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Examples of patented exercise devices which are illustrative of such prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,100 to Charnitski; U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,958 to Gulland; U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,115 to Arroyo, Jr; U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,262 to Hansen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,515 to Charnitski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,830 to Huggins et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,818 to Haber et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,631 to Wang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,441 to Wang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,690 to Huang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,880 to Allen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,162 to Daniels.

While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body. Conventional full body exercise machines do not provide a balanced workout for the upper body and lower body as the exerciser can “cheat”. In addition, conventional full body exercise machines can cause injuries to the joints of the exerciser when imbalance and improper timing occur during the workout.

In these respects, the ladder exercise system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of full body exercise machines now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new ladder exercise system construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body.

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new ladder exercise system that has many of the advantages of the full body exercise machines mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new ladder exercise system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art full body exercise machine devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.

To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a frame, an upper resistance unit attached to an upper portion of the frame, a pair of upper arms extending from the upper resistance unit having a pair of corresponding upper pegs, a lower resistance unit attached to a lower portion of the frame, and a pair of lower arms extending from the upper resistance unit having a pair of foot supports. A monitor is preferably in communication with the resistance units to monitor the workout for an exerciser. Movement of the lower resistance unit is completely independent of the upper resistance unit to provide a full body workout independently for the upper body and the lower body.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a ladder exercise system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.

A second object is to provide a ladder exercise system for providing an independent workout for the upper body and lower body.

Another object is to provide a ladder exercise system that reduce the impact forces applied to joints of an exerciser do to imbalance or improper timing.

An additional object is to provide a ladder exercise system that provides a balanced full body workout.

A further object is to provide a ladder exercise system that can be utilized by healthy or injured exercisers.

Another object is to provide a ladder exercise system that allows an exerciser to focus upon a weaker portion of their body.

A further object is to provide a ladder exercise system that provides a full body workout for exercisers at various levels.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. [0024]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: [0025]
FIG. 1 is a rear upper perspective view of the present invention. [0026]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention. [0027]
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the present invention [0028]
FIG. 4 is a top view of the present invention. [0029]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a [0030] ladder exercise system 10, which comprises a frame 20, an upper resistance unit 30 attached to an upper portion of the frame 20, a pair of upper arms 40 extending from the upper resistance unit 30 having a pair of corresponding upper pegs 42, a lower resistance unit 50 attached to a lower portion of the frame 20, and a pair of lower arms 60 extending from the upper resistance unit 30 having a pair of foot supports 62. A monitor 70 is preferably in communication with the resistance units to monitor 70 the workout for an exerciser. Movement of the lower resistance unit 50 is completely independent of the upper resistance unit 30 to provide a full body workout independently for the upper body and the lower body.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, the [0031] frame 20 is constructed in a vertical manner to accommodate the height of most individuals. More specifically, the frame 20 is generally comprised of a base 22, a first support member 24, a second support member 26, at least one main support member 28 and a pair of handrails 29. It can be appreciated that the frame 20 may be constructed of various configurations common in the exercise equipment industry. The base 22 is preferably rectangular shaped having a center opening 23, however various other shapes may be utilized to provide stability to the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, the [0032] main support member 28 extends from one end of the base 22 upwardly at an angle. The angle of the main support member 28 is preferably greater than 45 degrees with respect to the base 22 to provide a vertically orientated effect for the exerciser.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and [0033] 4 of the drawings, the first support member 24 and the second support member 26 extend upwardly from the base 22 opposite of the main support member 28. The first support member 24 and the second support member 26 are both attached to the upper portion of the main support member 28 to provide support to the main support member 28 during usage by an exerciser. As further shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, a pair of handrails 29 are preferably attached to the base 22 and the support members 24, 26 to provide a safety measure for users or to provide support to exercisers that desire to only exercise their lower body. The handrails 29 may be covered with various protective and ergonomic coverings commonly utilized within the exercise equipment industry.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, the [0034] lower resistance unit 50 is attached to a lower portion of the main support member 28. The lower resistance unit 50 is comprised of any well-known resistance unit commonly utilized within the exercise industry including mechanical and electrical resistance units.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, a pair of [0035] lower arms 60 movably extend from within the lower resistance unit 50 through a pair of corresponding lower slots 52 within the lower resistance unit 50. The lower arms 60 extend outwardly a finite distance as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
A pair of foot supports [0036] 62 are attached to the distal portions of the lower arms 60 as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings. The exerciser positions their feet upon the foot supports 62 to cause reciprocating of the lower arms 60 within the lower resistance unit 50. Various configurations may be utilized to construct the foot supports 62 as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, the [0037] upper resistance unit 30 is attached to an upper portion of the main support member 28. The upper resistance unit 30 is preferably adjustably attached to the main support member 28 for allowing adjustment of the vertical position of the upper resistance for accommodating various heights of users wherein such adjustable structure are commonly utilized within the exercise equipment industry. The upper resistance unit 30 is comprised of any well-known resistance unit commonly utilized within the exercise industry including mechanical and electrical resistance units similar to the lower resistance unit 50.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, a pair of [0038] upper arms 40 movably extend from within the upper resistance unit 30 through a pair of corresponding upper slots 32 within the upper resistance unit 30. The upper arms 40 extend outwardly a finite distance as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
A pair of [0039] upper pegs 42 are orthogonally attached to the distal portions of the upper arms 40 as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings. The upper pegs 42 are preferably covered with a protective and ergonomic covering that are commonly utilized within the exercise equipment industry. The exerciser grasps the upper pegs 42 to cause reciprocating of the upper arms 40 within the upper resistance unit 30. Various configurations may be utilized to construct the upper pegs 42 as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, a [0040] monitor 70 is preferably attached to the frame 20, preferably to the upper portion of the main support member 28. The monitor 70 is comprised of any conventional monitor 70 commonly utilized within the exercise industry to monitor 70 the exercise activity of the lower resistance unit 50 and the upper resistance unit 30. The monitor 70 preferably includes a display 74 for providing viewing of the exercise activity and a keypad 72 for allowing control by the user. The monitor 70 may also be utilized to control the amount of resistance applied by the lower resistance unit 50 and the upper resistance unit 30 which is commonly done in the exercise equipment industry.
In use, the user positions their feet upon the foot supports [0041] 62 and then grasp with their hands either the upper pegs 42 or the handrails 29. The user then begins to workout their lower body by reciprocating the lower arms 60 of the lower resistance unit 50. The user may also begin working out their upper body by reciprocating the upper arms 40 of the upper resistance unit 30 which is independent of the lower resistance unit 50. If the user desires, they may accomplish either or both an upper body workout or/and a lower body workout. The exerciser may also vary the intensity of their workout of the upper body in comparison to their lower body as desired to accommodate injuries or weaker portions of their body. The user continues this process until they have completed a full workout for their upper and lower body.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. [0042]
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. [0043]

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.



Index of Elements for Ladder Exercise System

	□	ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□
	□	10. Ladder Exercise System
	□	11.
	□	12.
	□	13.
	□	14.
	□	15.
	□	16.
	□	17.
	□	18.
	□	19.
	□	20. Frame
	□	21.
	□	22. Base
	□	23. Center Opening
	□	24. First Support Member
	□	25.
	□	26. Second Support Member
	□	27.
	□	28. Main Support Member
	□	29. Hand Rail
	□	30. Upper Resistance Unit
	□	31.
	□	32. Upper Slots
	□	33.
	□	34.
	□	35.
	□	36.
	□	37.
	□	38.
	□	39.
	□	40. Upper Arms
	□	41.
	□	42. Upper Pegs
	□	43.
	□	44.
	□	45.
	□	46.
	□	47.
	□	48.
	□	49.
	□	50. Lower Resistance Unit
	□	51.
	□	52. Lower Slots
	□	53.
	□	54.
	□	55.
	□	56.
	□	57.
	□	58.
	□	59.
	□	60. Lower Arms
	□	61.
	□	62. Foot Supports
	□	63.
	□	64.
	□	65.
	□	66.
	□	67.
	□	68.
	□	69.
	□	70. Monitor
	□	71.
	□	72. Keypad
	□	73.
	□	74. Display
	□	75.
	□	76.
	□	77.
	□	78.
	□	79.

Claims

We claim:

1. A ladder exercise system, comprising:

a frame having a base and at least one main support member extending upwardly from said base;

a lower resistance unit attached to said at least one main support member, wherein said lower resistance unit includes a pair of lower arms having a corresponding pair of foot supports movably extending from thereof; and

an upper resistance unit permanently attached to said at least one main support member above said lower resistance unit, wherein said upper resistance unit includes a pair of upper arms having a corresponding pair of upper pegs movably extending from thereof, wherein said upper resistance unit is independent of said lower resistance unit.

2. The ladder exercise system of claim 1, including a monitor attached to said frame and in communication with said lower resistance unit and said upper resistance unit.

3. The ladder exercise system of claim 2, wherein said frame includes a first support member and a second support member extending from said base upwardly to an upper end of said at least one main support member.

4. The ladder exercise system of claim 3, wherein said lower resistance unit and said upper resistance unit have adjustable resistance levels controlled by said monitor.

5. The ladder exercise system of claim 4, including a pair of handrails attached between said base and said first support member and said second support member.

6. The ladder exercise system of claim 5, wherein said at least one main support member is angled with respect to said base.

7. The ladder exercise system of claim 6, wherein an angle of said at least one main support with respect to said base is greater than 45 degrees.

8. The ladder exercise system of claim 7, wherein said upper pegs each include an ergonomic covering.

9. The ladder exercise system of claim 8, wherein said monitor includes a display and a control keypad.

10. The ladder exercise system of claim 9, wherein said base includes a center opening.

11. A ladder exercise system, comprising:

an upper resistance unit adjustably attached to said at least one main support member above said lower resistance unit, wherein said upper resistance unit includes a pair of upper arms having a corresponding pair of upper pegs movably extending from thereof, wherein said upper resistance unit is independent of said lower resistance unit.

12. The ladder exercise system of claim 11, including a monitor attached to said frame and in communication with said lower resistance unit and said upper resistance unit.

13. The ladder exercise system of claim 12, wherein said frame includes a first support member and a second support member extending from said base upwardly to an upper end of said at least one main support member.

14. The ladder exercise system of claim 13, wherein said lower resistance unit and said upper resistance unit have adjustable resistance levels controlled by said monitor.

15. The ladder exercise system of claim 14, including a pair of handrails attached between said base and said first support member and said second support member.

16. The ladder exercise system of claim 15, wherein said at least one main support member is angled with respect to said base.

17. The ladder exercise system of claim 16, wherein an angle of said at least one main support with respect to said base is greater than 45 degrees.

18. The ladder exercise system of claim 17, wherein said upper pegs each include an ergonomic covering.

19. The ladder exercise system of claim 18, wherein said monitor includes a display and a control keypad.

20. The ladder exercise system of claim 19, wherein said base includes a center opening.