Personal exercise equipment cover

Abstract

An exercise Swiss ball cover with the capability of performing integrated resistance exercises and temporarily store personal belongings. The cover is a fabric rectangle secured at its shortest sides, or a fabric tube, into which the exercise Swiss ball is inserted and covered at the centermost, widest circumference. There are two perimeters, each having a small ring or grommet to attach and detach exercise accessories and personal belongings. The cover is cinched at its two perimeters to secure the cover to the exercise Swiss ball. It provides a 360 degree forward and backward rotation capability and a variable lateral rotation of up to 180 degrees without interference from excess material or the bare surface of the exercise Swiss ball. Variable side coverage depends upon stretch and width of fabric used. The cover can be folded into a flat rectangle, making it suitable to neatly drape over a workout bench.

Description

[0001]The present application is a continuation of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 897,264, filed by Rebecca Michelle Power, San Diego, Calif. on Jan. 25, 2007, entitled “Personal Exercise Equipment Covers”CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]6,547,703 Isometric Exercise Swiss ball, April 2003[0003]6,712,745 Exercise Fitness Ball Cover, March 2004BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Field of the Invention[0005]This invention relates generally to covers with coverage and accessory attachment capabilities, more specifically to protective fitness accessories, and particularly to a cover for the purpose of covering and protecting an exercise Swiss ball in a securable and releasable fashion with the ability to attach and detach extraneous personal fitness equipment.[0006]2. Description of Prior Art[0007]Inflatable, unbreakable exercise Swiss balls have been the growing trend in personal physical fitness, rehabilitation, and core strength training. These exercise Swiss b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]And finally, the cover is equipped with one ring or grommet attached on each perimeter. The rings can be made of metal, plastic, elastic or fabric, and they are attached through a reinforced button-hole sized incision near the openings through which the drawstrings are drawn. The purpose of the rings is to allow for the easy attachment or detachment of exercise resistance bands, phones, workout journals, meal supplements, PDAs, MP3s, iPods and the like. When the cover is fully cinched around the exercise Swiss ball, the rings in the lateral openings can be utilized to attach or detach the resistance bands. Through the use of a hook, lanyard, or clip the resistance bands or are fastened to or unfastened from the device. When the cover is not in use with the exercise Swiss ball, the utility of the rings allows for the device to be hung on a hook without the risk of stretching or creating a kink in the fabric.

[0023]Because the present invention is tubular in shape with two perimeters, it can easily slide around a fully inflated exercise Swiss ball and be tightened with the ability to see the exercise Swiss ball inside through either of its lateral closures, thereby reducing the possibility of exercise Swiss ball theft. Furthermore, while the shape of the invention fits an exercise Swiss ball, it can also be folded flat into a rectangle to neatly cover other pieces of exercise equipment including, but not limited to: gym mats, yoga mats, exercise steps, weight benches, and the like.

Problems solved by technology

Because they are semi-non-porous, they can harbor sweat from users, leading to a slippery surface, an unpleasant odor, bacteria, and a feeling of uncleanliness.

Hanging of the cover on a hook can cause unnecessary stretching and kinking of a small area of the fabric.

People who own exercise Swiss balls at their homes or offices, or the like, are often faced with storage dilemmas with respect to gravity.

This can wastes time and money.

Many gyms prohibit guests from bringing purses and bags on the workout floor.

That said, another problem faced by people who exercise in the gym is that they do not have a place to keep personal belongings such as keys, phones, workout journals, meal supplements, PDAs, MP3s, iPods and the like close at hand.

Because of the claim that the cover device has one perimeter, it is evident that there will be an area in which all of the excess material is gathered, causing a lack of uniformity.

While this serves the utility for simple exercises during which the ball is intended to stay stationary, this excess material will cause an interruption in uniform smoothness in those exercises involving a full 360 degree rotation on the ball.

In further reference to 6,712,745 . . . . If the area containing the cord and the excess gathered fabric were positioned to one side of the ball during an exercise requiring rotation, the weight of the excess material and cord would compromise the symmetry of the exercise Swiss ball, and defeat the purpose of the exercise.

This can take time and requires the use of additional equipment for inflating.

The Isometric Exercise Swiss ball does not lend itself utility in these and other similar situations.

Additionally, the shape is not flexible enough for fitting various sizes of balls securely.

In further reference to 6,712,745 and 6,547,703 . . . . Fully encompassing an exercise Swiss ball without the ability to see the inside ball can present a problem for theft management departments of organizations offering the use of their exercise Swiss balls.

The aforementioned designs can lend themselves to possibility of theft, whereby the thief make can conceal the exercise Swiss ball as his or her own.

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