Friction-Spreader Grip Assembly for Resistance Band Exercise

Abstract

A grip assembly has a core having a longitudinal axis and anchor interfaces on opposite ends, an exercise band with elastic properties, one end furled around the core, and the other, loose end extending away from the core, and a keeper strap having attachment interfaces at opposite ends compatible with the anchor interfaces of the core, the attachment interfaces engaged to the ancho interfaces of the core, the keeper strap spanning the length of the core, intimately contacting the furled exercise band. The keeper strap constrains the furled exercise band from unfurling.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0001]The present invention is in the technical field of exercise and physical therapy equipment.2. Description of Related Art[0002]Strength is an essential component of the health and well-being for people of all ages. Generally, people tend to lose strength and muscle mass due to injury, inactivity, and the aging process. For older adults in particular strength plays an important role in several key functions. For example, strength is required for maintaining balance, preventing falls, and retaining bone density. Muscle loss is a condition that affects everyone but increases with age and so is especially acute in older people. Loss of muscle and flexibility are two of the major contributors to joint and other injuries in adults, especially the elderly, and can significantly diminish the quality of life of those effected and increase the cost to society of their medical care.[0003]As the population ages over the coming decades, th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a grip assembly for an exercise band that includes a core, an exercise band, and a keeper strap. The keeper strap is attached to the core and spans its length, making it difficult for the exercise band to unfurled. The assembly also includes an elastic safety strap that a user can grip for added safety. The method for using the grip assembly involves wrapping the exercise band around the core and engaging the keeper strap with the anchor interfaces on the ends of the core. The user then grips the assembly and moves the core towards and away from a stationary anchor. The technical effects of the invention include improved grip and stability during exercise movements, as well as increased safety for the user.

Problems solved by technology

Generally, people tend to lose strength and muscle mass due to injury, inactivity, and the aging process.

Loss of muscle and flexibility are two of the major contributors to joint and other injuries in adults, especially the elderly, and can significantly diminish the quality of life of those effected and increase the cost to society of their medical care.

A common drawback of all of these methods, however, is that the apparatuses are expensive, require substantial space to house or require membership / commuting to a special facility, cannot be used at home or while traveling, require spotters or third-party assistance, are complicated to operate, and importantly do not offer refinements in terms of resistance levels of adjustments or movement required for many strengthening and rehab exercises, especially non-linear movements and work movements involving short spans of travel, such as those used for wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

First, there are undefined rolls of band material, sometimes referred to as “therapy bands” due to their initial proliferation in physical therapy use.

Despite the benefits of exercise with resistance bands, they suffer from numerous functional and property drawbacks which limit their usefulness and adoption, especially among the elderly, recuperating, and others who could derive a unique benefit from their properties.

Perhaps the largest of these limitations is a lack of grip and difficulty clasping the band during exercise.

Given that the beneficial work resistance provided by resistance bands is generated through a pulling motion (elongating the band and creating increasing tension across the band), the shape of resistance bands with their flat, uniform tape-like configuration and undefined terminations with no handle make them very hard to clasp while exerting force in a pulling potion.

For the elderly and those in rehab, clenching resistance bands with the hand can be difficult and painful, and can exacerbate arthritis and similar joint conditions, as well as aggravating convalescing injuries.

This situation is severely compounded by the introduction of perspiration in workout contexts, where loss of grip allows the band to snap back in an uncontrolled fashion which can cause injury.

If the grip is lost during the motion of the exercise while the band is elongated, the energy of the band is released causing the band to violently snap back to its original shape.

This frustrates the benefit of the exercise, impairs the workout experience, and has the potential to cause serious injury.

Another problem with resistance bands is they tend to adhere or stick to themselves over time.

Separating the band, essentially peeling the band apart to return it to its usable shape, requires significant dexterity, takes time, and weakens the integrity of the band.

Moisture from work-out perspiration tends to migrate to folded areas where it is retained, amplifies adhesion, and accelerates breakdown and rot.

With no solution available in prior art, the constant sticking-and-unsticking process associated with resistance bands takes time and reduces convenience, adds to the cost of more frequent replacement, and creates significant safety risk of pre-mature band failure.

The bunching of the resistance band into gathers also shortens the life of the resistance band and renders the action of the band more similar to a resistance tube than the band as intended.

This, in addition to arthritis and other risks mentioned above, also creates the risk of lost circulation and potential nerve damage over time, especially in elderly users.

Major continuing challenges not addressed are the complexity of attaching the resistance band to the handle and the risk of mechanical attachment failure.

A major challenge inherent with any handle-type solution is inadvertent separation of the resistance prior are handles (most of which apply only to resistance tubes and not resistance bands) embody band from the handle mechanism, which can cause the band to snap back toward the user, possibly causing injury.

To mitigate the risk of attachment failure, prior are handles (most of which apply only to resistance tubes and not resistance bands) embody mechanisms to secure the band to the handle frame with a variety of In order to adjust the length of the band, these mechanisms must be loosened and re-tightened which can be time-consuming and difficult for elderly or convalescing users.

Moreover, these items can fail without warning, allowing the band to snap back, and moreover involve numerous small parts capable of being projected by the band if it dislodges and forcibly contracts.

Safety issues aside, most proposed solutions involve moving parts used to clamp a gathered (or in a few cases spread) resistance band that must be manipulated by the user, loosing and tightening screws or impingers for adjustment, and which require additional manufacturing and assembly steps.

As a result, the current state solutions in the art is time consuming, requires manual dexterity, creates a failure hazard, and limits the overall experience of the workout.

Another significant drawback inherent in handles is that they do not accommodate exercises involving “short-pull” travel ranges, especially those where the starting points of the exercise movement are relatively close together.

Another unmet need is the fact that handles are of a fixed diameter and are not interchangeable.

Lastly handles in the art typically do not allow micro adjustments in the length of the resistance band.

Because prior art proposals rely on mechanical clamps, buckles, and impingers and the like to secure the band to the arms of the handle, it is not possible to make minor adjustments quickly to the length of pull—and thus the amount of work accomplished—during work out.

Images