Personal exercise machine for swimming-like movements

The present finding concerns an improved device, through which it is possible to carry out gymnastic exercises in a horizontal position with four handles used by a person to rest his hands and feet on, respectively, as well as a suspended mattress, on which a person lies during the gymnastic exercise.

EP-A2-0861680, to the same applicant, describes a personal device for carrying out gymnastic exercises comprising a rigid support frame with extendable shafts which can be connected together, where at the two outer upper shafts return pulleys for cables are fixed which terminate with handles, in which the hands and feet of the person who intends to do exercise are rested.

A mobile extended seat is also foresees on which the body of the user lies down, also foreseeing a series of pulleys, mounted on the upper central cross-member and in an upper central position thereof, which allow the return of the support cables, advantageously of the elastic type, for the central extended seat as well as for the handles, so as to allow the person laying on the mobile extended seat to make a gymnastic movement similar to swimming.

The purpose of the present finding is that of foreseeing one constructive solution to be applied to the patented device described above, in order to improve its operation and to allow it to also be used by a person with substantial mobility difficulties.

Specifically this constructive solution has the purpose of stabilising the central extended seat at the start of gymnastic activity.

Such constructive solution is illustrated in the attached drawings, which show only the novelty elements of the device, for a complete description thereof referring to the text of the previous patent, where:

• figure 1 (Tav. I) represents an overall perspective view of the device;
• figure 2 (Tav. II) represents an overall perspective view of the improved elements of the device;
• figure 3 represents detailed views, front and plan respectively, of the hooking bracket for the cables.

As can be seen in fig. 1, the device, per se known, substantially consists of a frame 1, which comprises two extendable vertical shafts, which support an upper horizontal cross-member, to which two parallel longitudinal cross-members are attached, in turn connected to other horizontal cross-members, both adjustable in length and in width.

A series of pulleys are mounted on the central shaft, so as to allow the return of the bearer cables 27 and the actuating cables 26 for the handles, which support the hands and feet of the person lying down, as well as the mobile central extended seat, which supports the person's body.

As can be seen in fig. 2, the adjustment of the load value on the central extended seat 70, in relation to the weight of the person lying on it, is carried out by detaching the end (point "K") equipped with a spring catch for the cable 30 of the extended seat itself, to rehook the same end spring catch for said cable (30 with a dotted line) on one of the holes 31 present on the bracket 32, arranged on the upright of the frame 1 (see fig. 3).

As can be seen again in figure 2, the stabilisation of the central extended seat on the horizontal plane is realised, in the direction of the axis "X", through the cable 40 and in the direction of the axis "Y" with the cables 50.

Finally, according to the invention as can be seen in both figures 1 and 2, a stabilising group 60 for the central extended seat, with which the central extended seat itself is positioned in the lower end stop position, is associated with the device of the known type, to ease the supporting action of the person.

Operatively, at the start of the gymnastic exercise the person, through the keypad 61 - downhill button - actuates the motor of the winding roller 62, which takes care of winding the belt 63, connected to the extended seat, which pulls it back until it is rested on the dampened trestle 64, so as to avoid possible oscillations of the extended seat itself and to thus ease the person getting up.

After the person has got into position lying down on the extended seat, through the keypad (uphill button) he unlocks the action of the winding roller 62, which allows the free unwinding of the belt 63, with the consequent lifting, produced by the elastic pulling back of the cables, up to the operating position, corresponding to the equilibrium condition between the weight of the person lying down and the sum of the elastic forces of the cables.

At this point the person, lying down on the extended seat, rehooks the keypad 61 on the bracket 62 and starts the gymnic activity during which, by acting on the four cables equipped with handles, the gravitational weight on the central extended seat is reduced and an elastic pull-back of the bearer cables is thus generated, so as to create an effect of progressive increase in the size of oscillation of the extended seat itself.