MUSCLE TRAINING DEVICE

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a muscle exercise device for working a user's muscles, in particular the deep muscles of the back. Prior art

[0002] Back pain is generally associated with a lack of muscular capacity in the muscles that balance the spine. There are two types of back muscles: extensor muscles, which are relatively long and superficial and are involved in large-range movements, and short, deep muscles that provide spinal extension movements.

[0003] Currently, in order to exercise while measuring and controlling the short and deep muscles, there is a measuring device described in document FR 2 843 873. This device comprises a lower support base, an upper support plate that can be moved vertically above the lower support base along a vertical mast. However, this device has the disadvantage of being bulky, complex and difficult to move for a patient simply wanting to perform exercises at home.

[0004] Patent application WO2015063348 is also known, describing a cervical torsion and flexion chair with adjustable helmet to strengthen the paravertebral musculature.

[0005] Patent application WO2010014129 relates to a machine with a relatively elongated base in the shape of an upside-down "T" (with the base at the top of the "T"). The machine is collapsible for storage under a bed and for shipping. The angle of the upper vertical bar can be adjusted forward and backward by the user. The upper vertical bar can be adjusted to different angles to target different core muscles, to safely limit flexion or extension as needed to avoid discomfort, and it allows for a slimmer profile when collapsing the unit so it can be stored under a bed or shipped.

[0006] Claim 12 of this patent application specifies that the position of the seat can be changed relative to the vertical leg, and wherein in one position the seat is horizontal and positioned for a user to perform abdominal exercises, and wherein in the other position the seat is tilted from horizontal into position for a user to perform back extension exercises.

[0007] We also know the patent application WO2010014129 describing an abdominal muscle building device and not a back muscle exercise device.

[0008] Also known is patent application AU2015213465 describing a device for measuring the muscular strength of a person comprising a back plate intended to come into contact with the back of the person in order to facilitate the placement of the device, a front plate intended to provide a load or resistance against which the person contracts his abdominal muscles, an adjuster located on the side of the device in order to interconnect the front and back plates so as to fit closely around the torso, a sensor disposed on the front plate for measuring the force generated by the movement of the abdominal muscles in communication with a display for displaying the force measured by the sensor. The device is available in different embodiments. The advantage of the device is that it allows a person to quantitatively measure and monitor his muscular strength while exercising his abdominal muscles. Statement of the invention

[0009] An aim of the invention is to provide a muscle exercise device which is compact, easily movable and very simple to use.

[0010] To this end, there is provided, according to the invention, a muscular exercise device, according to claim 1, in particular for the deep muscles of the back, comprising a lower support base, an upper support plate, means for mounting the upper support plate on the lower support base arranged so that the upper support plate extends above and opposite the lower support base, at a determined adjustable distance, the mounting means comprising a column head and a column foot being disengageable and arranged so that the device takes a deployed configuration for use or a folded configuration for storage.

[0011] Advantageously, but optionally, the muscle exercise device according to the invention has at least one of the following technical characteristics: the lower support base is a lower plantar support base; the lower support base is a seat; the upper support plate comprises a support layer made of foam or a similar material; the mounting means comprise a column foot and a column head mounted to slide relative to each other; the mounting means further comprise an intermediate column element connecting the column foot and the column head; the upper support plate is mounted on the column head and the lower support base is mounted on the column foot; and, the mounting means further comprise means for locking / unlocking the deployed and retracted configurations of the device. Brief description of the drawings

[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention. In the attached drawing: [ fig.1 ] is a side view of an embodiment of the muscle exercise device according to the invention. Detailed description of an embodiment

[0013] In reference to the figure 1 , we will describe an embodiment of a muscle exercise device according to the invention. Generally speaking, the muscle exercise device according to the invention is arranged so that it can easily take a deployed configuration for use or a folded configuration for storage, or even be easily assembled / disassembled, so that it can be used by a user 20, in particular at home, by positioning it on a seat 10 for example.

[0014] To this end, the muscle exercise device according to the invention comprises a lower support base 6 and an upper support plate 2. Connecting the lower support base 6 and the upper support plate 2, the muscle exercise device according to the invention comprises means for mounting the upper support plate 2 on the lower support base 6. The upper plate has a lower surface adapted to allow the top of the skull to rest and to exert pressure by extension of the back muscles.

[0015] The mounting means are disengageable and comprise at least one column head 1 and one column foot 5. The column head 1 is mounted so as to slide with the column foot 5.

[0016] The lower base 6 constitutes a horizontal seat for buttock support. It forms an extra thickness on the seat base 10.

[0017] The upper plate 2 forms a flat support surface, parallel to the lower base 6. The barycenter of the lower base 6 is located vertically above the barycenter of the upper plate 2.

[0018] Column 3 connects the lower base 6 and the upper plate 2, the respective support surfaces of which extend perpendicularly to column 3. Column 3 is vertical, without articulation relative to the lower base 6.

[0019] For example, the column head 1 is received inside the column foot 5 which is then formed of a hollow tube for this purpose. Alternatively, the column head 1 is formed of a hollow tube arranged so as to receive the column foot 5. In the embodiment illustrated in figure 1 , the mounting means further comprise an intermediate connecting column element 3 making it possible to assemble the column head 1 and the column foot 5, always in such a way as to slide relative to each other.

[0020] For example, the intermediate column element 3 is a hollow tube which receives at each of its ends the column head 1 and the column foot 5 respectively. Such an arrangement of the disengageable mounting means allows the muscle exercise device according to the invention to take, at the user's choice, a folded storage configuration, where the muscle exercise device according to the invention occupies a minimum volume allowing easy storage, or a deployed configuration for use, with in this deployed configuration a possibility of adjusting the muscle exercise device according to the invention to adapt it to the user 20. In addition, the column head 1, the column foot 5, and / or the intermediate element 3 can be assembled with each other in a removable manner: this allows disassembly of the muscle exercise device according to the invention if necessary.

[0021] The upper support plate 2 is mounted on the column head 1 and the lower support base 6 receives the column foot 5 fixed, possibly removably, to the lower support base 6 using fixing means 7, for example through bolts and associated tightening nuts. The arrangement of the muscle exercise device according to the invention is such that the upper support plate 2 extends above, opposite and at a distance from the lower support base 6. Once possibly mounted and in the deployed configuration of use, the muscle exercise device according to the invention is placed on a seat 10 for example, the lower support base 6 being supported on a seat base of the seat 10, as illustrated in figure 1 .

[0022] On the other hand, the mounting means further comprise locking / unlocking means 4 for locking / unlocking a mounting position of the column head 1 on the column foot 5 or of the intermediate column element 3 on the column head 1 and foot 5, depending on the variant of the embodiments of the muscle exercise device according to the invention.

[0023] Here, for example, the locking / unlocking means 4 comprise a bolt passing right through the two column elements to be mounted on each other and a tightening hand nut, such as a wing nut. On the other hand, the part of the column element which receives the other column element inside has a through hole along a diameter or a median, an orifice intended to receive the locking / unlocking means 4. The part of the other column element which is received in the preceding column element is, for its part, split from a free end so as to receive the locking / unlocking means 4 while allowing adjustment in position of the column elements relative to each other along a longitudinal axis.

[0024] Thus the distance between the upper support plate 2 and the lower support base 6 is adjustable to a value predetermined by the user, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to allow the muscle exercise device according to the invention to take and maintain the deployed and folded configurations. Other arrangements of the assembly are possible.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the upper support plate 2 further comprises a lifting force sensor 21 for measuring a vertical lifting force applied by the patient's head to the upper support plate 2. The lifting force sensor 21 is connected to wireless communication means 22 to enable transmission of measurement data from the lifting force sensor 21 to remote equipment (not shown) such as a mobile phone such as a smartphone, for example, or a tablet. The wireless communication between the communication means 22 and the remote equipment may be a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency connection, or any other wireless communication technology. Of course, it is possible to make numerous modifications to the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. - Muscle exercising device, in particular for deep back muscles, comprising a lower support base, an upper plate (2) supporting a vertical force by the head of a patient, means for mounting the upper support plate on the lower support base (6) arranged so that the upper support plate (2) extends above and opposite the lower support base (6) at an adjustable determined distance, the mounting means comprising a column head (1) and a column foot (5) are disengageable and arranged so that the device assumes a deployed configuration for use or a folded configuration for storage, where said upper plate (2) has a flat lower surface, parallel to the lower base (6) adapted to enable the top of the skull to be supported and pressure to be exerted by extension of the dorsal muscles and where the barycentre of the lower base (6) is located vertically above the barycentre of the upper plate (2).

2. - Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower support base is a lower plantar-support base.

3. - Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower support base is a seat.

4. - Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the upper bearing plate includes a foam support layer.

5. - Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the column foot and the column head are mounted for sliding with respect to one another.

6. - Device according to claim 5, characterised in that the mounting means further include an intermediate column element connecting the column base and the column head.

7. - Device according to one of claims 5 to 6, characterised in that the upper support plate is mounted on the column head and the lower support base is mounted on the column foot.

8. - Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the upper bearing plate comprises a lifting force sensor.

9. - Device according to claim 8, characterised in that it includes wireless communication means connected to the lifting force sensor.

10. - Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the mounting means further comprise means for locking / unlocking the deployed and folded configurations of the device.