Technical field
[0001] It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to sportsmen and women,
whether professionals or amateurs, who live in the city or in flats of few square
metres and want to have a bodybuilding equipment at home, offering them a more complete
bodybuilding equipment and configured to occupy the smallest possible space.
State of the art
[0002] In the current state of the art, there are different bodybuilding equipment for home
use, but they are not designed for use in small spaces, and those that are, do not
meet the minimum requirements for progressive muscle development, lacking important
elements, for example, the lack of more weights to increase the load, or specific
exercises important for lower body muscle development, such as a 45° press, quadriceps
extensions and lying femoral curl. Therefore, to train the lower body at home, for
a bodybuilder, the current home machines are insufficient, limiting their training
to private gyms.
[0003] More specifically, the following exercises are important for working the lower body,
and currently, it is not possible to perform them with a home machine.
[0004] Thus, for example, the 45° leg press is an indispensable element for any gym, as
it involves practically all the muscles of the legs, focusing more on the quadriceps
and calves, so a high volume of load is needed (i.e., more weight to lift). The main
disadvantages why these presses are not used in domestic use are:
- In the case of multifunctional home equipment, no press tools or accessories are included
that are reliable and sufficiently loaded for professional training (which requires
heavy weight loads).
- The cost and volume of a stand-alone leg press is high (minimum cost of 1,000 EUR)
and measures approximately 200 cm - 250 cm in length, 140 cm - 150 cm in height; and
70 cm - 190 cm in width, which makes it unfeasible in many homes.
- It is necessary to have a lot of weighted discs stored (between 400 kg and 600 kg
maximum load for professional equipment). It is true that there is leg press equipment
with a tower of guided weights, where it is not necessary to carry the discs, but
they tend to increase their price and decrease their maximum load, since it is a system
that works by pulling the weights by means of a steel cable and pulleys.
[0005] Another essential leg exercise is leg extensions, as they work the quadriceps, which
is the most powerful and voluminous muscle in the leg, occupying almost a third of
its volume. The disadvantages for home training are:
- Multifunctional home equipment lacks sufficient load (weight) for professional quadriceps
training.
- They are uncomfortable, as the seat back is not adjustable and are (often) not large
enough to work comfortably.
- The cost and volume of professional equipment for leg extensions is also too high
to have one at home exclusively for this exercise.
[0006] The lying femoral curl trains the femoral leg muscles, which are the muscles at the
back of the legs, also known as the hamstrings. The problems that make it impossible
to train the femoral leg curl lying down include:
- In the multifunctional equipment available on the market, the femoral curl is usually
worked standing, using the leg extension tool, but it is more uncomfortable and complicated
to work.
- There are benches for femoral curls and leg extensions to which weight discs are added
as a load, but there is the same disadvantage, i.e. too little weight for the extensions,
too many discs to store, impractical and uncomfortable, as the benches are insufficiently
sized.
- Again, as with the other exercises described above, having professional equipment
to train the femoral leg muscle lying down is expensive and takes up too much volume
for a single exercise.
[0007] The power rack or power cage is a tool that allows you to perform a variety of strength
and power exercises, allowing you to lift very heavy loads safely. It is a great help,
both to develop muscles and simply to tone up. The disadvantages of these machines
for use in a domestic environment are:
- The main problem is the volume it takes up, which is unfeasible for most homes. Foldable
power cages are known to avoid this problem. However, these devices lack the structure
to expand with more accessories and remain foldable, so their volume also increases
with each accessory added to the equipment. Furthermore, folding systems also do not
allow for convenient training of all muscle groups, so they are limited only to the
specific exercises that each accessory allows, in addition to those specific to the
folding equipment, such as the pull-up bar and barbell exercises using this structure
as a support.
- This type of machine is usually used to perform pull-ups and squats, among other exercises,
as well as to support a barbell (which can optionally be an Olympic bar), with weight
discs for different exercises. Its use is limited only to those exercises, unless
the equipment is complemented with other tools or accessories such as rings, climbing
ropes, bars for triceps bottoms, a bench to do pectorals, a pulley system with guided
weight plates for load-bearing exercises, among others. In this case, the problem
is that you increase the volume with each accessory, which makes the product more
and more expensive. A lot of weight discs are also stored, as there are a variety
of exercises that require the use of this type of load.
[0008] In short, the weight training equipment available on the market for general training
of the entire musculature (multifunctional equipment) is not effective or sufficient
for lower body weight training. To overcome these shortcomings, a large financial
investment is currently required, with the use of independent equipment that takes
up a large amount of space, which prevents its use in domestic environments, particularly
in private homes in large cities.
[0009] Therefore, there is a need for a single piece of equipment that allows a complete
and sufficiently loaded training of the lower body, so that it can be used by bodybuilders
and/or professional athletes in a domestic environment, which requires that it takes
up as little space as possible.
Explanation of the invention
[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable multifunctional training
equipment that makes it possible to reduce the volume occupied by a multifunctional
bodybuilding equipment, at the same time as it is supplemented with a foldable equipment
configured to perform the exercises most commonly used in the training of the lower
body, increasing the load with the weights corresponding to this type of exercises.
It is another object of the invention that the foldable multifunctional training equipment
can be closed in a drawer or cupboard, in such a way that it can be stored as if it
were a piece of furniture. These objects are achieved with the equipment of claim
1. Particular and/or preferred solutions of the invention are described in the dependent
claims.
[0011] More specifically, the equipment of the invention comprises a foldable power cage,
configured to add to it a system of pulleys and towers of weights guided as a load,
designed for folding the whole assembly in the smallest possible space, to which is
added a removable tool for a guided bar and a second foldable assembly for leg training
comprising: a bench and a seat with adjustable position; a 45° leg press; a set configured
to train quadriceps extensions; and a set configured to train the lying femoral curl.
[0012] Thanks to the equipment of the invention, a multifunctional training equipment is
obtained that is different from those described in the state of the art, more complete
and in a smaller space. It is, therefore, a more versatile piece of equipment, as
it allows all the muscle groups to be exercised in reduced spaces, facilitating access
to those athletes who, because they live in cities or small houses, do not have enough
space for a complete gym at home.
[0013] Throughout the description and the claims, the word "comprises" and variants thereof
are not intended to exclude other technical features, additives, components or steps.
To those skilled in the art, other objects, advantages, and features of the invention
will be apparent in part from the invention and in part from the practice of the invention.
The following examples and drawings are provided by way of illustration and are not
intended to restrict the present invention. Furthermore, the invention covers all
possible combinations of particular and preferred embodiments indicated herein.
Brief description of the drawings
[0014] The following is a very brief description of a series of drawings which help to better
understand the invention, and which relate expressly to an embodiment of the invention,
which is illustrated as a non-limiting example of the invention.
- Figure 1
- shows a view of the foldable multifunctional training equipment according to the present
invention.
- Figure 1.1
- shows the equipment of the invention in folded position, with the cabinet doors open.
- Figure 1.2
- shows the equipment of the invention folded into a closed cabinet.
- Figure 2
- shows an isolated view of the main structure of the training equipment of the invention,
i.e., the foldable power cage (100).
- Figure 3
- shows in detail the locking system of the hinges (103) that facilitate the folding
of the power cage (100).
- Figure 4
- shows in detail the means of training the lower body (200).
- Figure 5
- shows the bench structure and the adjustable seat that are formed by the lower body
training means (200) of figure 4.
- Figure 6
- shows the configuration of the lower body training aids (200) to perform the leg press
exercise at 45°.
- Figure 7
- shows the configuration of the lower body training aids (200) for use in leg extensions.
- Figure 8
- shows the configuration of the lower body training aids (200) to perform the lying
femoral curl exercise.
- Figure 9
- shows in detail the means for positioning a guided rod (300).
- Figure 10
- shows in detail the distribution of the power transmission means (500).
Detailed explanation of one embodiment of the invention
[0015] The training equipment according to the present invention is shown in figure 1. This
figure identifies the main parts, technical means or assemblies comprising the equipment
of the invention. The training equipment comprises, at least:
a collapsible power cage (100);
lower body training aids (200) that are foldable and transformable for performing
the exercise of leg press at 45° (figure 6), leg extensions (figure 7) and/or lying
femoral curl (figure 8);
means for positioning a guided rod (300);
at least two parallel towers of guided weights (400); and
power transmission means (500) comprising a plurality of pulleys and steel wire ropes
-preferably- and which are configured to enable folding of the training equipment
and which, in turn,
comprise at least:
two height adjustable pulleys (501,502); and
two central lower pulleys (503, 504);
in such a way that the foldable power cage (100) is configured as the main structure
of the lower body training means (200), as well as the means for positioning a guided
bar (300), using the weights arranged in the parallel towers of guided weights (400)
to configure the load of each exercise;
and wherein, in addition, the lower body training means (200) and the guided barbell
(300) are connected via the power transmission means (500) to the guided weight towers
(400).
[0016] Thanks to this structure, the different parts that make up the training equipment
of the invention do not interfere with each other, facilitating the performance of
the different training exercises. Furthermore, the training means (200) and the guided
bar (300) can be used independently of each other.
[0017] Figure 2 shows an isolated view of the main structure of the training equipment,
i.e. the foldable power cage (100), whose main characteristic that the cage structure
must have is that its folding must not interfere with the other elements incorporated
in the machine, i.e. the lower body training means (200), the means for positioning
the guided bar (300); the guided weight towers (400) and the power transmission means
(500). To this end, the foldable power cage structure (100), in turn, comprises:
a first arm (101) and a second arm (102) positioned respectively to the left and to
the right consisting of bars with an "L" shaped profile, said arms (101,102) being
foldable by means of a plurality of hinges (103) provided with locking means (as shown
in detail in figure 3), and being, furthermore, the arms (101,102) are configured
to support the means for positioning the guided bar (300) and the power transmission
means (500), for which said arms are provided with a square iron or profile, chromium-plated
or stainless steel with holes that allow the aforementioned means to be positioned
at a height; y
a first central longitudinal member (104) and a second central longitudinal member
(105) which are a U-shaped profile configured to fix and/or anchor the undercarriage
training means (200) as well as to guide the wheels in the deployment of the undercarriage
means (200).
[0018] Figure 3 shows in detail the locking system of the hinges (103) that facilitate the
folding of the power cage (100). The arms (101,102) in addition to their "L" profile
are designed with an upper clearance and locking protrusions (106) configured to block
the opening and closing movement of the arms (101,102) of the cage (100) at different
angles.
[0019] Thanks to this arrangement, the arms (101,102) can be opened depending on the exercise
to be performed at the time. In fact, to open or close the arms (101,102), the arms
(101,102) are simply lifted, folded or unfolded, and then dropped downwards so that
they engage the locking lugs (106) and are retained in position. Finally, a clamping
nut or pin (a retainer, 107) secures the locking position at the chosen angle of the
power cage (100).
[0020] In a particular embodiment, the locking system of the arms (101, 102) will consist
of a single pin, the presence of the locking bosses (106) not being necessary.
[0021] The lower body training means (200) are shown in figure 4.
[0022] The lower body training means (200) are configured as a folding seat or bench (figure
5) with which three of the most important exercises for working the leg muscles can
be performed, the bench can be folded out into three different pieces of equipment
in the smallest possible space and can be loaded with weight with the towers (400).
[0023] In addition, working the lower body requires robust and strong equipment that can
bear a lot of weight, so it is not obvious to integrate it into a single foldable
piece of equipment. More specifically, the lower body training equipment (200) comprises,
at least:
guides (201), preferably two, U-shaped, with folding legs and with wheels and/or bearings,
wherein the guides (201) are configured as the support structure for the lower body
training aids (200);
a guided carriage (202) and movable between the guides (201) thanks to a plurality
of wheels and/or bearings;
a foldable and collapsible press base (203), wherein said base (203) is configured
as a seat on one of its sides and is divisible into two parts for performing the lying
femoral curl exercise (best described in figure 8);
a removable and tilt-adjustable seat backrest (204);
a first tool (205) configured to train the quadriceps and femoral muscles, this first
tool (205) being independent of the structure of the lower body training equipment
(200) and posicionable according to the exercise to be performed; and
a second independent tool (206) that can be fixed to the guide carriage (202) and
is configured to increase the load of the press when performing the 45° leg press
exercise (see detail in figure 6) with external weight discs.
[0024] The structure of the bench and the adjustable seat are shown in figure 5.
[0025] The first function which is available only by unfolding the lower body training means
(200) in its use as a bench and/or adjustable seat, since without unfolding any other
element, a bench with a padded upholstery is obtained for performing various types
of exercises such as, for example, and without limitation, the bench press lying down,
seated shoulder press, among others, for which there is a rod (207) configured to
hold the backrest (204) at the appropriate angle with respect to the seat (203).
[0026] Figure 6 shows the configuration for performing the leg press exercise at 45°.
[0027] To carry out this exercise, the lower face of the base (203) configured as a seat
is used and the removable backrest (204) is placed in its corresponding anchorage,
thus configuring the typical structure of a leg press at 45°. Its weight load would
be regulated by means of the towers (400) whose power would be transmitted through
the power transmission means (500) and, specifically, through the two lower central
pulleys (503,504) and their corresponding transmission cables. Likewise, during the
configuration of the structure we have the option of blocking the guided carriage
(202) using retaining bars or supports that are operated by means of levers located
on the sides of the "U" shaped guides (201).
[0028] Optionally, it is possible to place the second tool (206) to add additional weights
or loads and increase the load even more if necessary. Thanks to the two guided weight
towers (400), however, the number of additional weights or loads will always be much
lower than would be required with a separate machine specifically for this exercise.
[0029] Figure 7 shows the configuration for performing the leg extensions exercise.
[0030] In this case, the reclining or adjustable seat shown in the configuration of figure
5, will be used with the lower body support structure (201) in its horizontal position,
deploying legs, to which only the first tool (205) configured to train the quadriceps
and femoral muscles will be incorporated, in such a way that it is possible to lift
the load configured on the guided weight towers (400) by means of the power transmission
means (500) and, specifically, by means of the two lower central pulleys (503,504)
and their corresponding transmission cables.
[0031] Figure 8 shows the setup for performing the lying femoral curl exercise.
[0032] As for training the quadriceps, the first tool (205) is also used, configured for
the exercise of the femoral "curl", completely tilting the bench for its practice.
The load is configured on the guided weight towers (400) by means of the power transmission
means (500) and, specifically, by means of the two lower central pulleys (503,504)
and their corresponding transmission cables. The particularity in this exercise, as
shown in figure 8, is that the base (203) can be divided into two parts and raised
at the junction area, so that the user can give the necessary inclination to the bench,
which is typical of this type of equipment, for the best use of the load and user
comfort.
[0033] Figure 9 shows the means for positioning a guided rod (300).
[0034] In the state of the art, guided bar equipment has a fixed bar attached to two bearing
guides on each side. This structure poses a problem, as it would be impossible to
fold the device with a fixed cross bar, which would make it undesirable to dispense
with it.
[0035] Therefore, in order to provide the equipment with a guided bar without losing the
folding capacity of the equipment as a whole, it has been necessary to design an accessory
(the positioning means (300), located on the arms (101,102) of the cage (100)) that
allows the guided bar to be positioned and removed, in such a way that it is possible
to fold the equipment and, in addition, to use the loose bar for other exercises,
either as an Olympic bar or as a non-Olympic straight bar.
[0036] The means for positioning a guided rod (300) comprises:
a clamp (301) with bearings configured for different profile sizes; and
a latch (302) configured to grasp or anchor the guided rod.
[0037] In a particular embodiment, the positioning means (300) will be materialised by means
of nylon sheets on the inside which will act as a sliding element.
[0038] Figure 10 shows the power transmission means (500). The power transmission means
(500) are composed of a plurality of pulleys (501 to 505) and cables, preferably of
steel, which allow the structure of the equipment, i.e., the power cage (100), to
be folded. For this purpose, it has been necessary to solve the following technical
problems:
- a) The steel cables do not allow the structure of the equipment to be folded and unfolded.
During the folding and unfolding movements, the cables become taut and slack, slipping
out of the guides and pulleys and not allowing the structure to be closed.
- b) Being a small piece of equipment, there is little space available to place the
pulleys and the stretch points (the points through which the power of the exercise
is transmitted to the weights) without getting in the way or interfering with the
other elements of the set.
[0039] In order to overcome these disadvantages, the power transmission means (500) have
been designed in such a way that the transmission cables are passed through a conduit
(506) located in the opening axis of the arms (101,102) of the power cage (100) by
adding a double pulley (505), so that the combination between the conduit and the
double pulley allows the arms (101,102) to be folded without untensioning the transmission
cables (507) . This configuration also means that the other elements are not hindered
and increases the number of stretching points necessary for working with the equipment
of the invention, even if the space available is very limited.
1. A foldable multifunctional training equipment which is
characterised by that comprises:
a collapsible power cage (100);
lower body training aids (200) which are foldable and transformable for performing
the exercise of leg press at 45°, leg extensions and/or lying femoral curl;
means for positioning a guided rod (300);
at least two parallel towers of guided weights (400); and
power transmission means (500) comprising a plurality of pulleys (501 to 505) and
steel cables (507) and configured to enable folding of the training equipment;
such that the foldable power cage (100) is configured as the main structure of the
lower body training means (200), as well as the means for positioning a guided bar
(300), using the weights arranged in the parallel towers of guided weights (400) to
configure the load of each exercise;
and wherein, in addition, the lower body training means (200) and the guided barbell
(300) are connected via the power transmission means (500) to the guided weight towers
(400).
2. The training equipment of claim 1 wherein the power transmission means comprise at
least two height adjustable pulleys (501,502); and at least two central lower pulleys
(503, 504).
3. The training equipment of claim 1 or 2 wherein the collapsible power cage structure
(100), in turn, comprises:
a first arm (101) and a second arm (102) positioned respectively to the left and right,
consisting of bars with an L-shaped profile, the said arms (101, 102) being foldable
by means of a plurality of hinges (103) fitted with locking means, and the arms (101,
102) being furthermore configured to support the means for positioning the guided
rod (300) and the power transmission means (500),102) are configured to support the
means for positioning the guided bar (300) and the power transmission means (500),
for which said arms are provided with a square iron or profile, chromium-plated or
stainless steel with holes that allow the aforementioned means to be positioned at
a height; y
a first central longitudinal member (104) and a second central longitudinal member
(105) which are a U-shaped profile configured to fix and/or anchor the undercarriage
training means (200) as well as to guide the wheels in the deployment of the undercarriage
training means (200).
4. The equipment according to claim 3 wherein the hinge locking means (103) comprise
locking lugs (106) and retainers (107) configured to secure the locking position of
the arms (101,102) at a given opening angle.
5. The equipment according to claim 3 wherein the hinge locking means (103) comprises
a pin.
6. The equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lower body
training means (200) comprises at least:
guides (201), preferably two, U-shaped, with folding legs and with wheels and/or bearings,
wherein the guides (201) are configured as the support structure for the lower body
training aids (200);
a guided carriage (202) and movable between the guides (201) by means of a plurality
of wheels and/or bearings;
a foldable and collapsible press base (203), wherein said base (203) is configured
as a seat on one of its sides and is divisible into two parts to perform the exercise
of a lying femoral curl;
a removable and tilt-adjustable seat backrest (204);
a first tool (205) configured to train the quadriceps and femoral muscles, this first
tool (205) being independent of the structure of the lower body training equipment
(200) and posicionable according to the exercise to be performed; and
a second independent fixture (206) that can be attached to the guide carriage (202)
and is configured to increase the load on the press when performing the 45° leg press
exercise with external weight discs.
7. The equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for positioning
a guided rod (300) comprises:
a clamp (301) with bearings configured for different profile sizes; and
a latch (302) configured to grasp or anchor the guided rod.
8. The equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the means for positioning
a guided rod (300) comprises:
a clamp (301) containing nylon sheets inside, as a sliding element; and
a latch (302) configured to grasp or anchor the guided rod.
9. The equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the power transmission
means (500) are configured so that the transmission cables are fed through a conduit
(506) located in the opening axis of the arms (101,102) of the power cage (100) by
adding a double pulley (505), such that the combination between the conduit and the
double pulley allows the arms (101,102) to be folded without untensioning the transmission
cables (507).