AirFree Worker

Abstract

We provide a lightweight, convenient, and safe exercise device that minimizes the use of hard and heavy materials such as metal, unlike dumbbells or expanders, eliminating the risk of injury during use due to dropping, unexpected rebound, or contact with the body. It can be held in the hand, used in bed, allows for adjustment of exercise intensity, and can be used to exercise multiple parts of the body. [Solution] A hollow body 1 made of resin with bellows is provided with a throttling hole 3 having an adjustable throttling valve mechanism, and gripping parts 2 are provided on both sides of the hollow body, as well as a mounting part 4 for holding a separately prepared mounting device 5. The user uses these to expand and contract the hollow body 1, and the air resistance generated when air flows in and out of the throttling hole 2 is used as the load for exercise. Since the mechanism for generating the load for exercise does not require the weight of the device, springs, rubber, airtight (liquid) structures, etc., it can be realized with a simple and lightweight resin device, making it easy to use and safe, and the intensity of the exercise can also be adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lightweight, safe and convenient exercise tool that can be used by holding it in the hand or clamping it between the legs.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to create an exercise load in exercise tools and equipment, there are those that mainly utilize the elastic force of springs or rubber, such as an expander used by holding it in the hand, and those that utilize the weight of materials, such as an iron array. In other exercise tools and equipment, there are those that utilize the user's body weight or the repulsive force of a gas spring.

[0003] On the other hand, the following prior arts exist as those that create an exercise load without using the elastic force, weight of members, or the user's body weight. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-028776 (Patent Document 1) aims to add functions and improve existing exercise equipment, but the target base exercise equipment has a mechanism that creates an exercise load by the friction when pulling out a rope from a housing. It is desirable that the housing and the like are made of resin, and it is characterized in that the exercise intensity can be changed and it can also be carried around. However, it needs to be fastened to a part of a building or the like during use. Also, the one in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-171957 (Patent Document 2) uses the repulsive force when compressing air and the force required for the compressed air to overcome the spring force of the valve and expand it as an exercise load, and adjusts and utilizes it. At this time, the air used is the outside air that enters and exits inside and outside the instrument body, and the instrument is a combination of a cylinder, a piston, a valve, etc. that require appropriate airtightness.

[0004] Regarding the adjustment of exercise load, there is prior art that allows for changes to different types of exercise and adjustment of exercise load by combining several parts as needed, such as in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-268576 (Patent Document 3). In addition, the example in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-502246 (Patent Document 4) is characterized by the ability to adjust the exercise load, stable constant velocity of the exercise, exercise of various body parts such as arms and legs, and use for exercise for people with weak strength, but it uses an airtight (liquid) structure and requires high-strength materials and magnets. Furthermore, it is used by being suspended from the ceiling or fixed to a bench, and is not an exercise device that is held in the hand and extended or retracted. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 56-028776 [Patent Document 2] Publication No. 61-171957 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-268576 [Patent Document 4] Special Publication No. 63-502246 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] When using weight-based exercise equipment, there was a risk of accidents such as dropping the equipment. When using rubber, springs, or compressed air, the load increased and decreased non-linearly and rapidly, making it difficult to use if not held carefully, as it could unexpectedly spring back. Furthermore, all of these methods required a certain level of strength, necessitating the use of hard materials, sometimes heavy materials like metal, which could cause injuries such as bruises or wounds if unintentionally came into contact with the body. Additionally, different types of equipment were often needed depending on the intended exercise, or multiple pieces of equipment were required to match the desired exercise intensity.

[0007] The invention described in Patent Document 3 is characterized by its ability to change the manner of motion or the intensity of motion, but it has the same problems as those mentioned above in that it uses metal components or weights.

[0008] Furthermore, the devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 4 require fastening the equipment to sturdy objects such as doors, ceilings, or benches, which limits the places where exercise can be performed and makes them less convenient.

[0009] Furthermore, the handheld exercise equipment mentioned above presents a major problem: it is generally used by healthy individuals, focusing on exercises aimed at acquiring greater muscle strength, or at least designed to facilitate such exercises. Conversely, it is unsuitable for situations where repetitive exercises with a relatively low, constant load are desired, or where low loads are unavoidable, where the equipment should not have any rebound, or where the equipment itself should not be heavy. On the other hand, equipment intended for stable loads, light loads, or repetitive exercises is placed on the floor, installed, or attached to benches or ceilings, thus lacking the convenience of handheld use, and it is assumed that the user can stand and walk. Even if these are handheld and capable of providing light loads, as long as the mechanism for creating the exercise load utilizes the weight or elasticity of the material, or an airtight (liquid) structure, the structural components of the equipment must possess a corresponding strength, which inevitably means they are rigid and could potentially harm the human body if they come into contact with it. Furthermore, the load increases and decreases rapidly and non-linearly, and sometimes even rebounds, making it difficult to use. As a result, it fails to overcome drawbacks such as biased usage patterns.

[0010] The aim of this invention is to provide an exercise device that can be easily held and used by injured or ill people, or even healthy people, that can be used for various exercises, has a safe structure, and can be made from safe materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention aims to reduce the weight and strength of the components by simplifying the mechanism for creating exercise load as much as possible, and employs a simple method of using the air resistance of a constriction hole to create exercise load. As shown in Figure 1, the exercise device has gripping parts 2 at both ends of a hollow body 1 that expands and contracts due to a resin bellows, changing its internal volume, and a constriction hole 3 is provided so that air inside the cavity can enter and exit with the outside. Air is allowed to enter and exit the device through the constriction hole, and the air resistance at that time is used as the source of exercise load. When the user holds the gripping parts 2 and expands and contracts the hollow body 1, air passes through the constriction hole 3 as it expands and contracts, and the air resistance at that time is transmitted to the user as exercise load, thereby achieving exercise. For ease of use and improved safety, the hollow body 1 is a resin bellows, and the gripping parts 2 are also made of hollow resin.

[0012] The aperture section 3 is a small hole through which air enters and exits the hollow body, and it is designed as an aperture valve to generate air resistance and adjust the airflow rate to increase or decrease the resistance. This makes it possible to adjust the load of the movement. Therefore, adjusting the aperture of aperture section 3 adjusts the intensity of the movement. The aperture of aperture section 3 employs a general aperture valve mechanism, and externally, the aperture adjustment knob forms a cover (cap) over the entire structure of aperture section 3, so the visible part of aperture section 3 is the aperture adjustment knob. The adjustment is performed by rotating the knob, which moves a needle up and down to control the amount of air entering and leaving the aperture.

[0013] Furthermore, when using the exercise device of the present invention for leg exercises, it is necessary to separately prepare an attachment device 5 for attaching to the legs or other body parts. The exercise device of the present invention is equipped with an attachment device holder 4 for holding this attachment device 5. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the attachment device holder 4 is provided on the upper and lower parts of both the left and right gripping parts 2. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention, which can create a load for exercise in the simple manner described above, is light, easy to hold, has no repulsion, has a stable load, is easy to use, has a relatively soft material, and has the effect of greatly suppressing the possibility of harming the body. In addition, it can be used even with a weak load and enables exercise regardless of location, so that even those with no strength or those who cannot walk can use it. Further, it can be used not only for strengthening muscle strength but also for exercising over a long period of time, the intensity of exercise can be adjusted, and by devising the way of holding it, different parts of the arm can be exercised. Moreover, if it is attached to the leg using a fixture, it can also be used for leg exercise, so there is no need to prepare a plurality of tools for each exercise purpose.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a three-view drawing showing one embodiment of the present invention. (Example 1) [Figure 2] It is a view showing the state of using the exercise tool of the present invention while holding it in the hand. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of an example in which a fixture holding part is provided in a grip part and one constriction hole part is provided respectively for exclusive use of air inflow and outflow. (Example 2) [Figure 4] It is an enlarged view of the fixture holding part of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing an example in which the grip part is made into a grip ball (so-called knob). (Example 3) [Figure 6] It is a view showing the state of using the exercise tool of the present invention while wearing it on both feet. [Figure 7] It is another example of the expansion and contraction mechanism of the hollow body. (Example 4)

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] One embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 1.

Examples

[0017] Figure 1 is a three - view drawing of an embodiment of Claim 1. In this embodiment, the hollow body 1 can be expanded and contracted by a bellows. The aperture portion 3 is a small hole for air to enter and exit the hollow body, and is a throttle valve so that the air flow rate can be adjusted to increase or decrease the air resistance. The visible part of the aperture portion 3 serves as a knob for turning it to adjust the intensity of the movement. In this embodiment, the aperture portion 3 is provided at the upper part of the center of the bellows. Also, the gripping portion 2 serves as a handle in this embodiment, and is a part used by the user to hold with the hand and expand and contract the hollow body 1.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the state of using the exercise equipment of the present invention by holding the gripping portion 2 with both hands and expanding and contracting the bellows.

Embodiment

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of Claim 2 having a fixture holding portion 4 on the gripping portion 2 and having two aperture portions 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, the fixture holding portions 4 are provided one each at the upper and lower parts of the gripping portion 2, and have a groove structure that deeply cuts into the surface of the gripping portion and the deepest part spreads out in a round shape. One side of the square pipe 5a is embedded here, and the belt 5b of the fixture 5 prepared separately by exposing the opposite side of the square pipe to the outside is passed through this to hold the fixture 5. It is desirable that the gripping portion 2 has a warp 6 such that the center is recessed toward the inside in the expansion and contraction direction of the main body to assist when fixing to a leg or the like.

[0021] In the embodiment of Figure 1, there is one aperture portion 3, but as in the embodiments of Figures 3, 5, and 7, two aperture portions 3 may be provided and their roles may be divided into dedicated for the inflow direction and dedicated for the outflow direction respectively.

Embodiment

[0022] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the gripping portion 2 is a handle, but as in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the gripping portion 2 may, of course, not be a handle but a so-called knob (knob). In this case as well, it is desirable that the gripping portion 2 has a mounting device holding portion 4 and a curve 6 in the center that is concave toward the inside in the direction of extension of the main body to assist in attaching it to the leg or the like.

[0023] Figure 6 shows how the exercise device of the present invention is used when worn on the legs. [Examples]

[0024] A resin bellows is preferable for the mechanism that expands or contracts the internal volume of the hollow body, but to stabilize the expansion and contraction, a hinge 7 may be provided as shown in Figure 7 to create a bellows-like structure. Figure 7(A) shows the bellows-like structure of the present invention viewed from the bellows side, and (B) shows it viewed from the hinge 7 side.

[0025] Furthermore, in all of the above embodiments, it is desirable that at least the main parts, such as the hollow body 1 and the gripping part 2, be made of resin for ease of use and safety.

[0026] There are no restrictions on the mechanism or installation position of the attachment holder 4, but it is desirable that it be of a shape and material that poses little risk of harm to the body. [Industrial applicability]

[0027] Conventional exercise equipment often required hard, heavy materials to create exercise resistance, and the resulting rebound made it difficult to handle, potentially leading to accidental injury. Adjusting the level of exercise resistance was inconvenient, limiting the types of exercises that could be performed. Furthermore, it often required attachment to parts of buildings or furniture, restricting its use to specific locations. These characteristics also posed obstacles for the elderly and those with injuries or illnesses.

[0028] However, the exercise equipment of the present invention employs a simple mechanism for generating exercise load, allowing it to be made of lightweight resin, making it easy to carry, safe even if accidentally dropped on or in contact with the human body, easy to use with no rebound, and can be used anywhere. Its uses are also wide-ranging, including exercise for multiple parts of the upper arms and legs, and exercise for injured or ill patients in their hospital beds. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1 hollow fuselage 2 Grip part 3. Aperture hole 4. Mounting device holder 5. Fittings 5a Square ring 5b Belt 6. Curve 7. Hinge

Claims

1. A resin exercise device characterized by having a hollow body structure that is expandable or contractible in whole or in part by bellows to increase or decrease its internal volume, having at least one small hole, the small hole having an adjustable throttling valve mechanism to form a throttling hole portion, allowing adjustment of the amount of air passing through, and having grips on both sides of the hollow body so that the user can use them to expand or contract the hollow body, and the inflow and outflow of air into and out of the hollow body from the inside and outside of the hollow body due to the change in the internal volume of the hollow body occurring through the throttling hole, and the air resistance generated at that time being used as the load for exercise.

2. The exercise device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping portion is provided with a holding portion for a device to be attached to the body, so that the exercise device of the present invention can be held on the body without gripping by the user using a device to be attached separately.

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