REHABILITATIVE CORE TRAINING DEVICE

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/697,809 filed Sep. 23, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to exercise equipment, and in particular to a device used for strengthening the core muscles of the human body.

BACKGROUND

Core strengthening is an important aspect of fitness and overall body stability. The core muscles play a vital role in maintaining balance, posture, and proper movement. Weak core muscles can lead to a range of health problems, including lower back pain and poor posture, and may increase the risk of injury during physical activities. The core can be weakened or compromised in a variety of ways, including strains or tears of core muscles and traumatic injuries that result in core muscles being pierced. Medical procedures, such as organ transplants and cesarian sections, can also weaken or compromise the core.

Numerous core training devices are well-known in the art, ranging from simple devices such as exercise mats and declining benches to more complex devices such as reformers that incorporate resistance elements. For example, stability balls are often used to strengthen the core by creating an unstable surface and requiring a user to engage his or her core muscles for balance. A problem with prior art core training devices is that they require a user to fully engage his or her core muscles. But users who have suffered traumatic injuries or undergone medical procedures are often incapable of fully engaging their core muscles without experiencing immense pain.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention are defined by the claims below, not this summary. A high-level overview of various aspects of the invention is provided here to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. In brief, this disclosure describes, among other things, a device for training core muscles that receives a ball.

In one aspect, the device includes a pouch forming an interior compartment and an access opening, with an adjustable closure secured to the pouch to selectively open and close the access opening. The device includes at least one flap extending from the pouch, with a releasable fastener mounted on the flap. A ball is insertable through the access opening and retainable within the interior compartment, and the flap and fastener cooperate to releasably secure the device around a portion of a user. In certain embodiments, a second flap extends from an opposite side of the pouch, with first and second mating fasteners (e.g., hook material and loop material) provided on respective flaps.

In another aspect, the pouch is configured to abut the user's lumbar region when worn, with the access opening extending through the pouch and a zipper closure extending along edges of the opening and facing away from the user. In some embodiments, the device includes a pair of straps extending from opposite sides of the pouch, with each strap including a releasable fastener and the straps configured to overlappingly wrap around the waist of the user to secure the device to the user. The interior compartment may be sized such that, when the ball is received and the closure is closed, an inner surface of the pouch is drawn against an outer surface of the ball to limit movement of the ball within the compartment and relative to the pouch. The pouch and the straps may comprise elastic materials (e.g., neoprene, nylon, polyester, foam), optionally with webbing and/or mesh to enhance durability and breathability, and may be joined to the pouch via flexible joints.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing Figures, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, depicted with an access opening selectively opened and a pair of flaps extending outward from a pouch;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, depicted with a pair of flaps extending outward from a pouch;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, depicted with a pair of flaps interconnected by a pair of mating fasteners;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1, depicted with the device retained around a user's waist as a user stands up;

FIG. 5 is rear perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, depicted with an access opening selectively closed and a pair of flaps extending outward from a pouch;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, depicted with the device retained around a user's waist as a user is situated in an isometric C-curve position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upward,” “above,” “downward,” “below,” “left,” and “right” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made, and the words “inner,” “inward,” “outer,” and “outward” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof. The words “connected,” “attached,” “secured,” or variations thereof will refer to parts, elements, or components that are both formed separately and joined together, or parts, elements, or components that are integrally formed together. The terms “about” or “approximately” as used herein denote deviations from the exact value by +/−10%, preferably by +/−5%, and/or deviations in the form of changes that are insignificant to the described function. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of a similar import.

With reference now to the drawings, a core training device 10 is described in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The training device 10 is worn around the waist or torso of a user 11 and supports the core muscles of the user 11 during physical exercise, as will be described in greater detail herein. The training device 10 includes a pouch 12 forming an interior compartment 13 for receiving and encapsulating a ball 14. Access to the interior compartment 13 is provided by an access opening 15 formed in the pouch 12. A closure 16 may be secured to the pouch 12 along the edges of the access opening 15 to allow selective opening of the access opening 15 for insertion or removal of the ball 14 into or out of the compartment 13 and closing of the access opening 15 to retain the ball 14 in the compartment 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pouch 12 surrounds and defines the interior compartment 13, and is preferably formed from a relatively flexible fabric or other thin and flexible material. The pouch 12 includes an outer surface 20 and an inner surface 21, and is sized and configured to enable the ball 14 to fit snugly within the interior compartment 13. In the embodiment shown, the access opening 15 is formed through the rear of the pouch 12 and the closure 16 is secured to the rear of the pouch 12, such that when the training device 10 is in use (see FIGS. 4 and 6), the pouch 12 is positioned to abut against the lower back or lumbar region of the user 11 and the closure 16 faces away from the body of the user 11.

The ball 14 is sized in correspondence with the pouch 12 and the interior compartment 13 formed thereby, with the ball 14 supporting the lower back of the user 11 upon use of the training device 10. In the embodiment shown, the ball 14 is generally spherical and is formed of a soft yet resilient elastomeric material such as polyvinyl chloride. The ball 14 may be a relatively small Pilates ball, several variants of which are readily commercially available. It should be understood, however, that the ball 14 may comprise other shapes, sizes, or types of balls without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the invention described herein. Referring to FIG. 6, when the user 11 is situated in the isometric C-curve Pilates position or another similar position, the ball 14 extends between the lower back of the user and an exercise surface such that the ball 14 provides support to the lower back of the user 11, enabling the user 11 to engage his or her core muscles. The ball 14 assists the user 11 in remaining in the C-curve position, such that the user 11 can engage his or her core muscles to gradually bolster his or her core strength. The assistance provided by the ball 14 enables a user 11 whose core muscles have been injured, weakened because of a medical procedure, or otherwise compromised to rehabilitate his or her core strength. The pliability and elasticity of the ball 14 allow the user 11 to remain relatively comfortable while using the training device 10.

The access opening 15 is sized in correspondence with ball 14, allowing the ball 14 to be selectively received into or removed out of the pouch 12 when the closure 16 is opened or unsealed to open the access opening 15. When ball 14 is received within the pouch 12 and the closure 16 is closed or sealed, the inner surface 21 of the pouch 12 is generally pulled or drawn against an outer surface of the ball 14, such that the ball 14 is encapsulated within the pouch 12 and the inner surface 21 of the pouch 12 limits movement of the ball 14 within the interior compartment 13 and relative to the pouch 12. In the embodiment shown, the closure 16 is a zipper 16 which is pulled open or unzipped to open the access opening 15 (see FIG. 1) and pulled closed or zipped to close the access opening (see FIG. 5). It is entirely within the ambit of exemplary embodiments to provide a training device 10 wherein the closure 16 is a closure of a type other than a zipper; for example, the closure 16 may foreseeably comprise mating portions of a hook-and-loop-type fastener, and/or one or more buckles, clasps, snaps, buttons, magnets, or like mechanisms.

As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the training device 10 includes first and second side flaps or side straps 30 and 31 configured to wrap around the sides of the user 11 to secure the training device 10 to the waist of the user 11. In the embodiment shown, the first and second side flaps 30 and 31 extend laterally outward from opposite sides of the pouch 12. The first and second side flaps 30 and 31 may be referred to as left-and right-side flaps 30 and 31, corresponding to the side of the user 11 around which the flaps 30 and 31 are wrapped when the training device 10 is secured around the waist of the user 11.

One or more releasable fasteners are provided on the side flaps 30 and/or 31 for releasably interconnecting the side flaps 30 and 31, such that the side flaps 30 and 31 cooperate to secure the training device 10 around the waist of the user 11. In the embodiment shown and as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the releasable fasteners are first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 secured to respective side flaps 30 and 31, with the first mating fastener 32 comprising a strip of hook material and the second mating fastener 33 comprising a strip of loop material such that the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 form a hook-and-loop-type fastener. The first and second side flaps 30 and 31 and the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 cooperate to retain the training device 10 around the waist of the user 11. The use of respective strips of hook and loop material as the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 allows relatively infinite adjustment of the degree to which the first and second side straps 30 and 31 overlap when fastened together, thereby providing a snug, secure, and/or comfortable fit around waists of difference sizes and shapes. The one or more releasable fasteners may comprise structure other than hook-and-loop-type fasteners without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention described herein; for example, the one or more releasable fasteners may be buckles, clasps, snaps, buttons, magnets, eyelets and laces, and/or other like structures.

In the embodiment shown, each flap 30 and 31 is formed as a lateral extension of the pouch 12, and extends from a proximal end 40 to a distal end 41. The proximal end 40 of each flap 30, 31 is secured to a corresponding side of the pouch 12, with the juncture of each flap 30, 31 and the pouch 12 forming respective flexible joints 42 (see FIG. 1). In the embodiment shown, each flap 30, 31 is formed from the same sheet of material as the pouch 12. It is foreseen that the flaps 30, 31 may be formed separately from the sheet of material forming the pouch 12 and stitched or otherwise secured thereto.

In the embodiment shown, the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 are generally located nearer to the distal ends 41 of the respective side straps 30 and 31, with the mating fasteners 32, 33 extending longitudinally from respective distal ends 41 toward respective proximal ends 40 in the embodiment shown. The mating fasteners 32 and 33 thus occupy respective longitudinal spans sufficient to enable the training device 10 to be adjustable retained around varying torso sizes of different users. In an embodiment, the pouch 12 and the flaps 30, 31 may be formed from two layers of material joined together by stitching or sewing to form a unitary structure. It should be understood that the flaps 30, 31 may be formed separate from the pouch 12 and secured to the pouch 12 by fastening means such as stitching without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention described herein.

The flaps 30 and 31 and the pouch 12 are generally formed of a soft, elastic fabric, foam, or like material, such as neoprene, nylon, polyester, or combinations thereof. The softness, pliability, and elasticity of the flaps 30 and 31 and the pouch 12 allow the user 11 to remain relatively comfortable while using the training device 10. In an embodiment, the flaps 30 and 31 and the pouch 12 may include webbed materials for enhancing the strength and durability of the training device 10. Portions of the training device 10 may also be formed from mesh materials configured to enable airflow through the training device 10, thereby enhancing the breathability of the training device 10.

Although the training device 10 shown and described herein includes a pair of flexible flaps 30 and 31 which extend outward from the pouch 12 and on which respective mating fasteners 32 and 33 are mounted, it is foreseen that the inventive core training device may include a single flap or strap which extends outward from the pouch 12 and to which a first mating fastener is connected, with a second mating fastener secured to a portion of the pouch 12 in spaced apart relation from the proximate end of the single flap. The single flap is looped around the torso of the user 11 and fastened to the pouch 12 via mating of the first and second mating fasteners, thereby retaining the training device 10 to the torso of the user 11.

Operation of the training device 10 is now described in accordance with the embodiment of the inventions shown and described herein. The first and second flaps 30 and 31 are separated and positioned to extend outward from the pouch 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The zipper 16 is unzipped and the access opening 15 is opened to allow access into the interior compartment 13. The ball 14 is inserted into the interior compartment 13 and fitted snugly within the pouch 12, With the ball 14 so fit, the zipper 16 is zipped shut to seal the access opening 15 such that the ball 14 is encapsulated within the pouch 12. The user 11 positions the training device 10 such that the pouch 12 abuts against his or her lumbar region, and the first and second flaps 30 and 31 are wrapped inward and forward around the sides of the user 11 until the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 are interconnected, thereby securing the training device 10 around the waist of the user 11 (see FIG. 4).

With the training device 10 retained around the waist of the user 11, the user 11 participates in various physical exercises generally directed to engaging and strengthening the core muscles of the user 11. In some exercises, the ball 14 encapsulated within the pouch 12 supports the lower back of the user 11 when the user 11 is situated in the isometric C-curve position, as shown in FIG. 6. The ball 14 assists the user 11 in remaining in the isometric C-curve position as the user 11 engages his or her core muscles, enabling the user 11 to gradually bolster and rehabilitate his or her core strength.

Upon completion of the physical exercises, the first and second mating fasteners 32 and 33 are pulled apart from each other and released, allowing the first and second flaps 30 and 31 to be separated and pulled outward away from the sides of the user 11. The pouch 12 is moved away from the lower back of the user 11 and returned to a position such as that shown in FIG. 5. The ball 14 may be removed from the interior compartment 13 of the pouch 12 (as may be desired to facilitate storage or use of the ball 14 for other exercises) by unzipping the zipper 16, such that the access opening 15 opens and the interior compartment 13 is accessible for removing the ball 14 therefrom.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the technology have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this disclosure after and because of reading it. Alternative means of implementing the aforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of the claims below. Identification of structures as being configured to perform a particular function in this disclosure is intended to demarcate those structures as including a plurality of possible arrangements or designs within the scope of this disclosure and readily identifiable by one of skill in the art to perform the particular function in a similar way without specifically listing all such arrangements or designs. Certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.