Abdominal exerciser with rotatable seat and tandem pulley features

Abstract

An abdominal exerciser has base and back frames pivotally mounted for movement between upright and recumbent positions, and a seat frame with cushion rotatable on the base frame. A low friction journal between the base and seat frames supports a user's weight. The journal is about 30 to 42% the distance from a rear end of the cushion to its front end so the user's coccyx is vertically aligned with the journal. Arms at each side of the base frame have a pair of extensions connected to either the base or seat frame, each with a U-shaped handhold lying in a plane at an acute angle of about 30 to 80 degrees to the horizontal. A pair of single pulleys or a pair of tandem pulleys are mounted near the rear of the base frame and are engaged by sleeve-covered springs for biasing the back frame toward the upright position.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to the field of exercise devices, and in particular, to a new and useful abdominal exerciser with a seat and a back supporting structure.[0002]A wide variety of exercise devices and techniques are known for exercising the muscles of the stomach and back. Of these, the most common is the sit-up or crunch which, however is also known to place adverse pressure on the back and neck muscles.[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,171 and D581,471, which are both incorporated here by reference, disclose an abdominal exerciser co-invented by the inventors of the subject application. While effective for exercising the muscles of the stomach and back, the subject application discloses improvements that have been discovered as a result of use and understanding of the dynamics of the inventors' previous device.[0004]A need thus still remains for further improvements in abdominal exercise devices which enhance the exercising o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]An object of the invention is to provide an abdominal exerciser that has a base frame, a back frame pivotally mounted near a rear end of the base frame for movement between upright and recumbent positions, at least one back cushion connected to the back frame for supporting a user's back, a seat frame mounted for rotation on the base frame and a seat cushion fixed to the seat frame on which a user sits. A low friction journal bushing with a journal post rotatably mounted therein, is operatively connected between the base and seat frames for supporting the weight of the user. The bushing and post are about 30% to about 42% of the distance from a rear end of the seat cushion to the fro

Problems solved by technology

Of these, the most common is the sit-up or crunch which, however is

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