Exercise recliner

The present invention is directed to an exercise recliner, and in particular a recliner chair that conceals an exercise device.

In recent years, it has become more popular to exercise and as such the number of fitness centers and fitness equipment available on the market has greatly increased. This trend may be in response to the numerous studies promoting the significant benefits that can be achieved from undertaking physical activity on a regular basis. Despite the existence of this trend to be physically active and participate in physical activity, good intentions often cannot be reconciled with people\'s busy lives. There are a number of reasons why people quit exercising. Often there is not enough time in a day to visit a gym or fitness center, and the repetition required while exercising can be boring and uncomfortable. In addition to time constraints, people who want to partake in home exercise programs find that the limited space available in the home often can impact negatively on carrying out a home exercise program.

In order to address these problems, companies have begun manufacturing exercise equipment that can be used efficiently in the home. However, more often than not, home exercise equipment is not only expensive to purchase but also takes up a significant amount of space to house. Thus, people who decide to begin a home exercise regime must have or create additional space in their house, condo or apartment where they can store the exercise equipment. Housing the particular piece of exercise equipment more often than not detracts from the decor of the users home. Furthermore, should the owner of the exercise equipment tire of using the particular piece of equipment, or become physically unable to do so, the owner will have no other use for that piece of equipment and must either dispose of it or store it.

In an effort to provide home exercise equipment that is not bulky, cumbersome or intrusive, much has been developed in terms of collapsible exercising apparatus. However, prior art collapsible exercise equipment has not been satisfactory in that they are unattractive, serve a single purpose, and must be stored out-of the way when the room is being used for every day living.

In an attempt to solve the shortcomings associated with collapsible exercise equipment, furniture and exercise equipment manufacturers began manufacturing exercise equipment which can be stored in a piece of furniture or which is incorporated in a piece of furniture. However, many prior art exercise devices incorporated with a piece of furniture were neither attractive nor easy to use.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,649 issued on Jun. 12, 1973 to Miller for “Combined Chair and Exercising Device” discloses a combined chair and exercise device, which has the exercise equipment mounted to a platform in a space beneath the seat portion of the chair. Although this combined chair and exercise device is more convenient than most collapsible exercise equipment, this chair and exercise device requires the user to first get up off the chair, pull out the platform onto which the exercise device is mounted and then position and lock the exercise platform into position before beginning their exercise routine. This operation is both cumbersome and time-consuming and compromises the ease of use of the equipment, especially for seniors.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,963 issued on Jul. 13, 1976 to Sileo for “Chair-Type Bicycle Exercise Device” discloses a combined chair and exercise device, which has the exercise device mounted to a frame that is elongated and attached to the underneath of the seat by a track so that the frame can be hidden under the seat when not in use but can be extended outward to the front of the chair when in use. As stated above, the disadvantage of this combined chair and exercise device is that the user must get off the chair to pull the exercise device from beneath the seat of the chair and then the user must sit on the seat of the chair before they can adjust the pedals of the exercise device. Also, the exercise device is not mounted on a platform to provide the needed stability. Using this exercise device is a time consuming process and limits the convenience of the equipment.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,247 issued on May 1, 1990 to Sterling for “Exercise Chair” discloses a chair with a multitude of exercising devices incorporated into the back, arms, side panels and beneath the chair. Contrary to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,649 and 3,968,963, Sterling\'s “Exerciser Chair” does not require the user get off the chair in order to begin their exercise routine. However, in order to use the exercise device, the user must pull on the handle to move the band ring which simultaneously moves the telescoping frame in or out from underneath the chair exposing the exercise device that is mounted on a platform. Although, this type of exercise apparatus is more practical than the exercise devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,649 and 3,968,963, it still has its disadvantages. Firstly, the user must manually pull on the handle in order to expose the exercise device as well as lock or latch the exercise device into a particular position. Manually pulling on the handle while remaining seated on the chair requires a certain amount of upper body strength and coordination that may prove to be difficult for a segment of the population, especially seniors, or individuals with little or no upper body strength. Also, the location of the handle requires the user, while seated on the chair, to reach over the side of the chair in order to pull on the handle. Once again, this may be difficult and may result in the user leaning off the seat of the chair to locate and adjust the exercise device. Furthermore, this type of chair does not include a reclining mechanism or footrest and would not be practical if combined to a recliner chair comprising a footrest.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,298 issued on Nov. 28, 1995 to Curtis for “Exercise Apparatus” discloses an exercise apparatus comprising a chair, an arm-exercising station, and a leg exercising station. The leg exercising station is mounted within the footrest portion of the chair and includes an elongated support bar. The lower end of the support bar is positioned to engage the floor surface when the footrest is fully extended. One of the disadvantages of this exercise device is while it is stated that the user can set up the exercise equipment while seated on the seat of the chair, it does not appear to be practical. The set up process is time-consuming, awkward and physically demanding for the user. In order to use the leg exercising station, the user must extend the footrest, open the footrest to expose the leg exercising apparatus, position the lower end of the support bar on the floor and then adjust the height of the upper end of the support bar to adjust the position of the leg exercising station. Furthermore, once the footrest is extended and the footrest is opened to expose the exercise device, the footrest portions on either side of the leg exercise device may be in the way of the user as they are exercising. In addition, the support structure may not be sufficiently stable to support the weight of the user while using the exercise device.

Many users, including the elderly and disabled, may be incapable of the physical actions required to put the prior art exercise devices in position for use. Because of these limitations, in that they require the user to bend, stoop, lift, or otherwise awkwardly exert themselves in order to expose or access the normally concealed exercise device, there is a need for an improved exercise device.

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an exercise recliner comprising in combination a recliner chair and exercise device concealed beneath the seat of the recliner for use by a user without needing to get off the chair to personalize the exercise device for use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise recliner which doubles as a useful piece of furniture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise recliner that is more easily and conveniently set-up or placed in position or condition for use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise recliner that can be used without requiring the user to perform time-consuming, cumbersome, and awkward set-up procedures, or require the user to kneel, lift, pull or undertake other physically demanding tasks to prepare the exercise device for use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise recliner in which the footrest can be used as a conventional footrest when the exercise recliner is being used as a recliner or as a stabilizing platform when the exercise recliner is being used for exercise.

In accordance with these and other objects flowing from the following description of the present invention, an exercise recliner is provided which broadly comprises a chair having a back panel, a seat, arms, front legs, back legs, a pair of side panels, an open space beneath the seat, a footrest having a top surface, an under surface, a top edge, a lower edge, and two side edges and an exercise device. An extendable footrest support structure coupled to a securing mechanism connects the recliner chair to the footrest at the lower edge of the footrest. The footrest support structure is conventionally extendable so as to position the footrest in an extended position and retractable so as to position the footrest in a non-extended position. The securing mechanism coupled to the footrest support structure also allows the footrest to pivot downwards as the exercise device is moved out from the space beneath the seat of the recliner chair. When the exercise device when it is in an extended position, the footrest acts as a stabilizing platform. In another embodiment, the footrest can be removably detached from the recliner chair and moved out of the way or may open outwardly to the left or the right or may open like a double door when the footrest is in a non-extendable position.

The exercise device of the present invention is mounted to a movable and extendable frame. The movable and extendable frame is attached to a support mechanism located underneath the recliner chair. The frame extends from underneath the seat of the recliner chair. Attached to the support is a power mechanism, an actuating mechanism associated with said power mechanism and a locking mechanism associated with the actuating mechansim allowing the extendable frame to be moved and locked in different positions to personalize the settings of the exercise device.

The movable and extendable frame may include in one embodiment a pair of floor supports. The floor supports are adapted to unfold so as to extend between the exercise device and an underlying floor surface when the frame is extended and to fold and retract into the underneath of the recliner chair.

The exercise recliner of the present invention also has a control unit that in one embodiment is connected to the motor through a suitable cable. In another embodiment, the control unit may be wireless. The control unit may be sized for hand held use, or alternatively may be attached to one of the arms of the recliner chair or incorporated to one of the arms of the chair. The control unit will provide the circuitry and components necessary to move the movable and extendable frame in and out from beneath the exercise recliner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise recliner in which an actuating mechanism is coupled to a power mechanism and whereby a user by using the control unit may easily and conveniently move an exercise device mounted to a movable and extendable frame in and out from the open space underneath the seat of the exercise recliner.