Bench-Type Exerciser Device

The invention relates to an excerciser device, more particularly to a bench-type exerciser device which is particularly adapted for exercising the back muscles of a user, the exerciser device including an operating lever actuated against a resisting force and to which a pad is affixed.

Exerciser devices are known in the art where, on an inclined bench and under the influence of gravitational forces, the upper body of the user is moved rearwardly and upwardly. The increase of the resisting force is such that an extra weight, e.g., a medicine ball, is held on the back of the neck. In another type of exercise, the upper body is pressed rearwardly and upwardly, while the body is stretched out on the floor.

The object of the present invention is to provide a bench-type exerciser device wherein extra resisting force can be freely and continuously selectable in a specified area and the force characteristic during the movement can be from a 90.degree. angle to the stretched-out position, from a low value over a maximum to a lower value. This is desirable because the torque of the body in both extreme angular positions is smaller. Moreover, the exercising person shall have ease of entry in that the pad can be swung forwardly and upwardly and, at the start of the exercise, can be held in the desired individual starting position.

To solve the above problem, the exerciser device according to the present invention is characterized in that on a shaft placed in an equipment frame two levers are mounted in the axial direction one behind the other, the first lever rotating about the shaft and carrying on an offset lever arm a movable back pad is hinged, via a connection element, to one end of an arcuate lever arm, the other end being hinged to a second lever, the arcuate lever arm being connected to one end of a resisting element which can be adjusted along the lever arm, and the other end being fixedly hinged with respect to the equipment frame, the second lever capable of being locked with the back pad on the shaft in any angular position relative to the initial position of the first rotating lever with the object of altering the initial position of the first lever.

Preferably, the resisting force is produced by a pneumatic spring consisting of a piston/cylinder unit which has the advantage that it permits adjustment under no-load condition owing to the existing longitudinal dead limit, during which the compressive force approximates zero.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description given hereinafter and in the drawings, in which an embodiment of the invention is shown merely by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the inventive exerciser; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the shaft of the exerciser shown in FIG. 1.

In an equipment frame 1 having a bearing 3 there is mounted a shaft 2 to which an operating lever 8 and an arm 22 are fixedly connected. A lever 4,5, which is freely rotatable about the shaft 2 carries on its offset portion 5a a swivelable pad 6. This lever 5 is hinged by means of a pin 5b to a connecting member 17. This connecting member 17 is pivotally connected by means of another joint pin 13a to one end of an arcuate lever arm 13. A second lever 10 is hinged to the other end of this arcuate lever arm 13. A sliding element 14 with locking device 15 can slide along this arcuate lever arm 13 and be locked in any position therealong. One end of a pneumatic spring 16 is hinged to this sliding element 14, while the other end is hinged to the shaft 2 at 2b. This end of the pneumatic spring can also be hinged to a pin of the lever 10 (this alternative not shown). The lever 10 is affixed to a threaded bushing 11 placed on a threaded segment 7 of the shaft 2 and carries on its front a washer 9 which can produce frictional contact with an opposing washer 12 which is mounted with clearance on the shaft 2 and is fixed with respect to the equipment frame 1. By pivoting the operating lever 8 against the center of the reclining surface 18 by the person using the exerciser, the washer 9 is pressed against the opposing washer 12, thereby locking the lever 10 in place. When the exercising person pushes the pad 6 upwardly, the connecting piece 17 transmits this motion to the arcuate lever arm 13 so that the pneumatic compression spring is compressed against resistance. Owing to the geometry of the lever, the resultant distances of the axes of force will behave in such a way that a force with an arcuate characteristic acts on the pad 6, that is to say, the torque is low at the start, reaches its maximum after half a movement and, after a 90.degree.-angle, assumes another low value. In order to release the noted frictional contact between the washers 9 and 12, the operating lever 8 must be moved forward. After release of the frictional contact, the offset arm 22, which is also fixedly connected to the shaft 2, carries along the cam arm 21 and by this action the second lever 10 is rotated on the shaft 2. In this way, the whole lever system 5, 10, 13-17 can be swung forward in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 1) without producing a resisting force.

When the back of the person using the exerciser is pressed against the pad 6, reaction forces of constraints arise. These forces are appropriately absorbed by the user's legs, e.g., against the pad 20 mounted on an arm 19 attached to the frame 1. A reclining surface 18 permits a more convenient exercise.

Summing up, the advantages of the above-described device over prior art exercisers is seen in the fact that with this device the resisting force of the exerciser can be continuously adjusted, the torque has an arcuate characteristic, and the initial position of the pad can be adjusted individually.