Wheelchair attachment for exercise equipment

Abstract

An attachment is provided that may be used to convert exercise equipment typically used in gyms to equipment that may be used by persons in wheelchairs. The attachment generally includes an upper frame member and a lower frame member, each of which are selectively engageable with the existing equipment. The upper frame member provides an adjustable back pad that can be used with an adjustable belt to stabilize the exerciser's upper body when using the equipment. The lower frame member includes wheel locks to stabilize the wheelchair after it has been rolled into the lower frame member. It may further include fork members to secure handles and cables of the existing machine to make them more accessible for the wheelchair user. A lap belt of the lower frame member may allow a user to stabilize his or her lower body relative to the wheelchair when using the equipment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is generally directed to fitness equipment, and more particularly to an attachment that may be used in association with existing fitness equipment to allow persons in wheelchairs to use the existing fitness equipment.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Fitness equipment is found in gyms, recreational rooms, and the like. Such equipment is well known and often used in the fitness industry. However, such fitness equipment, particularly weight training machines, does not cater to the exercise population that is bound to wheelchairs. Fitness enthusiasts or professionals in wheelchairs are generally unable to use common fitness equipment for several reasons.[0003]For one, equipment is often designed for users that are able to stand. Bars and handles associated with a given piece of equipment are thus out of reach for people in wheelchairs. Additionally, it is a great challenge or even impossible for a user to get into the proper exercise pos...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The lower frame member is preferably U-shaped so that a front portion of its base is unobstructed so that a wheelchair may easily roll in and out of the base. At its front, bottom portion, the lower frame member may include wheel locks that may be used to further secure a wheelchair within the base and reduce or prevent the wheelchair from moving during exercise.

[0008]Side frames of the lower frame member may extend upwardly from either side of the base. Fork members or other retaining structures may be located at the rear portion of the side frames. The fork members may receive and secure cables associated with the existing exercise equipment that are used to to facilitate exercise. More particularly, the fork members may retain cables associated with an exercise desired by a user such that handles associated with the cables are pulled outwardly away from the machine, and nearer to the user. This makes the handles and cables more accessible to a person in a wheelchair by preventing the person in the wheelchair from having to reach back to the original retracted location of the cables. This can be difficult to do and also cause injury.

[0012]With the handles and cables of the existing equipment already pulled outwardly, a user may grasp the handles and use the handles to push outwardly, upwardly, or otherwise to activate the cables which are in fluid communication with a weight stack. The action of lifting the weight stack via the cables provides weight resistance to the muscles in a known manner. When a user is finished his or her exercise, he or she may wheel away from the attachment by simply unbuckling and releasing the belts and rotating the wheel locks upwardly so that the path for wheeling out of the attachment is substantially clear.

Problems solved by technology

This can be difficult to do and also cause injury.

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