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Cantilever springboard exercise station

Cantilever springboard exercise station description/claims

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1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the field of exercise equipment including exercise stations for developing strength and cardiovascular benefit, and pertains more particularly to a cantilever exercise station.

2. Discussion of the State of the Art

In the field of exercise stations designed to provide cardiovascular benefit and develop strength, there are a number of different mechanical variations available for facilitating jogging, walking, or some other repetitive leg motion. The Stairmaster™ is a very popular one of the variety of stations available.

The Stairmaster™ is designed around a mechanism wherein a user may step on surfaces simulating climbing stairs, and the surfaces move alternatively up and down in response to the user's motion. Another type of exercise station, the NordicTrack™, is designed to facilitate a sliding motion of the legs similar to cross-country skiing. A user steps up on the system and secures his or her feet into position on sliding track apparatus. The device includes opposing poles located on either side of the station, the poles levered to the tracks such that when a user slides the tracks, the poles simulate cross-country ski poles.

These types of devices are very good at creating an elevated heart rate and provide cardiovascular exercise to people without requiring them to move from point A to point B. One problem, however, with these particular systems and others like them is that they contain many complex moving components that are used to create the motion simulations they use to elevate the heart rate. Other systems for cardiovascular exercise contain similar complex moving components that must be maintained and occasionally break down due to normal wear and tear. Moreover, these systems and others like them are relatively expensive.

What is clearly needed in an efficient cardio vascular exercise station that contains few or no moving parts and that is not expensive to purchase or maintain.

According to an embodiment of the present invention an exercise station is provided. The exercise station includes a horizontally disposed base architecture, and a pair of springboards mounted in parallel at one end of each of the springboards to a mounting location on the architecture. The ends of the springboards opposite the mounted ends are free ends that may be displaced from their at-rest positions by applied force during exercise causing bowing of the springboards and resistance to the force applied.

In one embodiment, the springboards are disposed horizontally and are adjustable at the mounting location relative to height from the ground. In another embodiment, the springboards are disposed at an angle relative to horizontal and are adjustable at the mounting location relative to the degree or angle. In one embodiment, the applied force on the springboards is marching in place on the springboards.

In one embodiment, the exercise station includes a handrail system for providing a balance stabilization point for a user. In a variation of this embodiment, the exercise station also includes an information display system and sensor system for displaying information about exercise results to a user. In one embodiment, the springboards have bow features built into them.

In one embodiment with or without the handrails and information display system, the exercise station further includes a pair of adjustable compression cartridges for adding resistance to the springboards. In one embodiment, the springboards have one of toeholds or boot clasps installed thereon for facilitating securing of user's feet onto the springboards.

In one embodiment where an information display system and a sensor system are used, the sensor system includes one or more optical sensors. In another embodiment where compression cartridges are used, the exercise station further includes one or more load sensors installed on the compression cartridges for recording and relaying data about compression amount and frequency of compression of the cartridges.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the exercise station of claim 1, further including a seat mounted to the architecture at the end where the springboards are mounted and a pair of hand extensions with cords or ropes mounted to the free ends of the springboards. In this embodiment, a user seated on the seat and gripping the extensions may pull back on the hand extensions causing the springboards to bow up and toward the user. Also in this embodiment, foot placements are provided in the base plate of the architecture to act as points of leverage for keeping the user seated when pulling on the hand extensions.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cantilever exercise station basic architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a cantilever exercise station including the basic architecture of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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