Apparatus for performing rotating figures or body exercises, and associated grip member

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for making figures or body exercises in rotation. It also concerns a gripping organ of the type equipping said apparatus.

[0002] New forms of dances and urban body expression such as hip-hop include rotation figures wherein the male or female dancer turns on himself or herself, by being supported on one hand directly put on a surface or a carpet or a piece of cloth placed on said surface which must be flat. The possible irregularities of the holding surface can cause theses rotation exercises to be particularly tough and sometimes hazardous. Furthermore, the dancers may have their artistic demonstration limited by their physical resistance and their ability to counter the frictions at the interface between their hand and the contact surface. Moreover, the dancers can be led to make figures in rotation by being supported on a part of the body other than the hand, for example, the back, the ass, the head, a knee or a foot.

[0003] A training apparatus for the swing in golf is already known by document US5810673, comprising a disk coupled in rotation relatively to a basis and provided for receiving a user's foot maintained by a strap. The basis in said apparatus is fixed to a removable ground carpet.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is to propose an apparatus for making figures or body exercises in rotation, which provides anybody using said apparatus an ability to make figures in rotation in better conditions than those met in the present context of figures in rotation.

[0005] This aim is met with an apparatus for making figures or body exercises in rotation, comprising:

• • [0006] a lower part comprising non-skipping means on an exercise surface,
  • [0007] a upper part rotatively mobile relatively to said lower part, and
  • [0008] means for rotatively coupling said respectively upper and lower parts.

[0009] According to the invention, the upper part comprises a gripping piece conformed for receiving a part of a user's body.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, adapted to receive a user's hand, the gripping piece includes a hollow central part conformed to receive the palm of the user's hand, and a plurality of recesses extending beyond said central part for receiving said user's fingers.

[0011] Thus there is provided an apparatus which is compact, portable and particularly efficient for figures in rotation.

[0012] In a variant of the invention, the gripping piece may furthermore include means for braking the mobile upper part. These braking means comprise for example braking control means which can be actuated by a thumb of the user.

[0013] It is to be noted that models of the apparatus according to the invention can be specifically provide for right-hand or left-hand users, with for example a displacement of the brake from left to right or from right to left depending on the fact that the user is right-hand or left-hand.

[0014] Preferably, the gripping piece has a structure which is substantially symmetrical for indifferently receiving the user's left hand or right hand.

[0015] The gripping piece can advantageously include two main protrusions placed on one side and the other side from the central part and three inter-digit protrusions placed substantially in circle arc between the two main protrusions.

[0016] Numerous techniques can be used for making the gripping piece. For example, as a way of non limitative example, a making process by resin moulding can be used.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, a gripping organ is proposed, of the type equipping the upper part of an apparatus according to the invention, characterized in that it includes a hollow central part conformed to receive the palm of a user's hand, and a plurality of recesses extending beyond said central part for receiving said user's fingers.

[0018] This gripping organ can be advantageously attached to an accessory able to be actuated or hand-held, such as a projectile launcher, a racket for ball or shuttlecock games, or to a paddle for nautical activity, or to a neutralizing filet launcher.

[0026] An apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a lower part 20 equipped with a lower anti-skidding or non-slipping or anti-sliding coating and provided for being put on an exercise surface, a ball-bearing device 30, and a mobile upper part 10 supporting a gripping piece 100 made by moulding in a material such as resin. This gripping piece 100 comprises a hollow central part 16 conformed to receive in a ergonomic way a user's palm and, in one side and another of said central part, two central protrusions 11, 15 substantially curved towards the interior on their upper part, and three inter-digit protrusions 12, 13, 14 substantially placed in circle arc around said two main protrusions 11, 15. The gripping piece constitutes a relatively compact ensemble and can be advantageously decorated particularly in function of its use or for commercial or advertising aims. The mobile upper part 10 can be provided with a mechanical brake (non represented).

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the gripping piece 100 can be designed so as to present a symmetry permitting an ambidexter use of the apparatus according to the invention. Thus, the user can indifferently place his left hand MG or his right hand MD in the gripping piece 100.

[0028] In the first embodiment example illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower part has a discoid shape and diameter of the ball bearing 30 is substantially smaller than the diameter of the upper and lower parts. In another embodiment example illustrated by FIG. 4, the apparatus according to the invention comprises an upper part 110, a lower part 120 and ball bearing 130 with substantially identical external diameters.

[0029] With an apparatus according to the invention, a user U dancing hip-hop, inserting his hand into the gripping piece of said apparatus that he has previously placed on an exercise surface S, can then make numerous figures in rotation with exceptional speed conditions. The non-skidding coating 22 placed between the lower part 20 and the ground S ensures the immobility of the apparatus 1 during the exercise.

[0030] A gripping organ with a structure identical to the gripping piece equipping an apparatus according to the invention can be used for making original devices, when said gripping organ is attached to usually hand-held accessories. The sought main objective is to provide the user with a grip as efficient as possible.

[0031] Thus, with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6D, several applications can be provided for a same gripping organ 40 made with moulded resin and comprising two main protrusions 411, 415 and three inter-digit protrusions 412, 413, 414, in such different domains as diving, swimming, defense or security, hunting or ball and shuttlecock games.

[0032] A first example of application concerns, with reference to FIG. 6A, making nautical ambidexter paddle 6A including a glove 43 provided with an opening 44 for the wrist and openings for the user's fingers.

[0033] A second embodiment example concerns, with reference to FIG. 6B, an application of the gripping organ 40 to a projectile launcher 6B, for example for sharp projectiles, suction cup projectiles, magnet projectiles or projectiles equipped with Velcro®, said launcher being provided for example with a mechanism of bow or arbalest 51 and with a glove 53.

[0034] In a third embodiment example illustrated by FIG. 6C, the gripping organ 40 according to the invention is coupled to a device 6C for launching a filet F used for neutralizing persons or animals, said device being provided with a glove 63 and with a gas-cartridge propulsion mechanism (non represented).

[0035] The gripping organ according to the invention 40 can also be coupled to a racket 6D designed for shuttlecock V or ball B games and provided with a sieve 71 and with a glove 73 inserted in the gripping organ.

[0036] It is to be noted that in the above-described application examples, other embodiments which don't include a glove can be contemplated.

[0037] Of course, various embodiments are possible. Particularly, the gripping piece can be adapted to receive a part of a body other than a hand, for example, a foot, a knee, an elbow, the buttocks or the head of a user. This can be made possible by adding on a existing gripping piece an adaptation piece specifically conformed to receive this other body part.