Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a side kick
machine that can be used as an exerciser or a
simulator for side kicking.
Side kicking is widely used in martial arts,
particularly in Tae Kwon Do, karate, Kung Fu and kick
boxing. The side kick is used at varying heights for
different purposes. Defensively, the side kick often
takes the form of a stop kick or a kick thrown into an
area from which the opponent is preparing to attack.
Of course, the side kicX is also used offensively.
The power of a proper side kick can be
devastating and sparring matches between two
individuals, who are able to use side kicks, are often
done on a simulated or reduced force basis. In other
words, the side kick is either not landed or is landed
with a greatly reduced force. This is also the case
in many contests or tournaments where martial arts are
used involving side kicking.
Muscles used in the side kick technique
position are different from muscles used in other
exercises or sports such as jogging or weight lifting.
Thus, even though side kicking has been practiced for
many years, there are no exercise machines available
to properly develop the muscles used in side kicking
or to allow a user to realistically practice the art
of side kicking with the machine.
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a side kick machine that can be used to
exercise or develop muscles used in side kicking and
can alternatively be used as a simulator for
practicing the art of side kicking.
A side kick machine that can be used as an
exerciser or simulator for side kicking has a frame
supporting a foot pad that is oriented towards a
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handle. The handle is supported by said frame
horizontally apart from said foot pad. The foot pad
has a rest position and is pivotally supported in said
frame so that it can be made to pivot about a pivot
point from said rest position to a pivotal position in
a direction away from said handle when subjected to an
appropriate external force and return automatically to
its rest position when the external force is removed.
The handle and foot pad are located relative to one
another and relative to a supporting surface so that a
user of the machine can stand on the supporting
surface between said foot pad and said handle and can
assume a side kick position relative to said foot pad
while hanging onto said handle. A kicking surface of
said foot pad is substantially normal to a supporting
surface when the foot pad is in a rest position and
the machine is in an upright position. The foot pad
pivots in a vertical plane through said pivot point, a
centre of said foot pad and a centre of said handle at
all times from said rest position to said pivotal
position.
In drawings which illustrate a preferred
embodiment of the invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a side
kick machine;
Figure 2 is a partial side view of the
machine of Figure 1 showing the foot pad and handle;
Figure 3 is an end view of the handle;
Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the
foot pad;
Figure 5 is a bottom view of a pipe that
supports the handle; and
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Figure 6 is a side view of a removable pin
interconnecting the handle and pipe, with a shaft
removed.
In Figure 1, it can be seen that a side kick
machine 2 has a frame 4 supporting a foot pad 6 that
is oriented toward a handle 8 located adjacent
thereto. The foot pad 6 is shown in a rest position
and is pivotally supported in said frame 4 by an arm
10. The arm 10 extends vertically downward from a
pivot point 12. A lowermost section 14 of the arm 10
extends towards said handle 8. In this way, the foot
pad 6 is mounted relative to the pivot point 12 so
that the initial movement of the foot pad from a rest
position is slightly downward. A cam 16 extends
radially outward from the pivot point 12. The cam 16
has a leading edge 18 and a cable 20 is attached to
said leading edge and through pulleys 22 to a rod 24.
The cam 16 has a radius that decreases slightly from
said leading edge 18 so that the initial force
required to move the foot pad is small compared to the
number of weights being moved, the force increasing
steadily as a leg of the user is extended.`
The rod 24 extends through a stack 26 of
weights 28. Each weight 28 has an opening in its
centre that is large enough to receive the rod 24.
The rod 24 and weight stack 26 is conventional. The
rod 24 has a series of openings therein and a channel
29 is formed in each weight 28 to receive a pin 30
which can extend through the channel into an opening
of the rod 24. In this manner, by moving the pin
upward or downward in the weight stack, a smaller
number or a greater number of weights respectively can
be lifted when a sufficient force is exerted on the
cable 20.
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131~
The handle 8 is connected by a shaft 31 to a
cylindrical base 32. The cylindrical base is slidably
mounted on a horizontal pipe 34 that is normal to a
kicking surface 36 of the foot pad 6. The part 34
extends near said pivot point.
In Figure 2, it can be seen that the arm lO
supporting the foot pad 6 has four telescopic sections
38, 40, 42 and 14. Each of the sections has a series
of openings 46 therein so that a pin 44 can be
inserted into-two or more aligned openings, one from
each section, when it is desired to adjust the foot
pad vertically. As can be seen, as the foot pad is
adjusted to a high position, the sections will
completely overlap with one another and the pin will
be inserted through four openings, one from each
section.
Similarly, the handle 8 is also adjustable
as the shaft 31 is divided into two sections 48, 50.
The sections have a series of openings 52 therein so
that a pin 54 can be inserted into two or more aligned
openings, one from each section, to hold the handle in
a fixed position.
Also, the interior section 48 has three
openings at each horizontal level, said openings being
located 4So apart from one another. This allows the
handle to be turned relative to the XicXing surface
36, either to the right or to the left.
The kicking pad 6 and arm 10 are shown in
Figure 2 with solid lines in a rest position and with
dotted lines in a pivotal position. It should be
noted that the horizontal level of the foot pad 6 in
the two positions shown is essentially the same. For
clarity of illustration, the cam 16 is shown in the
rest position only.
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As can be seen from Figures 2, 3, 5 and 6,
the pipe 34 has a square cross-section and a series of
openings 54 along its length. The base 32 has a
corresponding square cross-section to prevent the base
32 from rotating relative to the pipe 34. A pin 60 is
mounted by a spring within a ~asing 64. The pin 60 is
remotely controlled at the handle 8 by a telescoping
rod 66. The rod 66 has a handle 67 at a lower end
thereof. The handle 67 and rod 66 are located at a
centre of the handle 8. As the handle 8 is adjusted
upward, the rod 66 will become smaller as the sections
overlap with one another. As the handle is lower, the
rod 66 will become longer. Whether the handle is
adjusted to a high position or low position, the rod
66 will have to be fully extended in order to remove
the pin 60 from one of the openings 54. When that is
done, the base 32 can be slid to a convenient location
along the pipe 34 relative to the foot pad 6.
In Figure 4, it can be seen that the foot
pad has a metal backing plate 68, supporting a
hardwood frame 70. The hardwood frame of, for
example, maple, has an elongated cha~nel therein, an
inner portion of the channel being lined with hard
foam 72 and an outer portion of the channel being
lined with soft foam 74. A cover 76 of leather,
Naugahyde ~a trade mark) or other suitable material
holds the foam in place on the hardwood. The channel
is long enough and wide enough to receive a foot of a
user. Numerous variations in the shape or type of
components used to construct the foot pad will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
While the adjustment means for the handle
and foot pad are described in some detail, numerous
other types of adjustment means will be readily
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apparent to those skilled in the art. For example,
the horizontal adjustment of the handle through the
rod 66 and pin 60 could be varied so that a spring-
mounted pin is located outside of the shaft 30. It is
important that the foot pad be adjustable vertically
and that the handle be adiustable both vertically and
horizontally relative to the foot pad. Short users
will often wish to lower the foot pad and tall users
will often wish to raise the foot pad. Also,
individual users will want to lower the foot pad for
part of their exercise period and raise it for another
part of the exercise period in order to practice kicks
or exercise side kick muscles for kicks at various
levels. When the foot pad is raised or lowered, the
handle 8 will usually be moved in an opposite
direction (that is, when the foot pad is lowered, the
handle will usually be raised and vice versa). The
radius of the cam 16 decreases slightly from a leading
edge 18 so that the foot pad becomes more difficult to
pivot as the leg of a user is further extended.
The machine 2 can be used to exercise and/or
develop muscles of a user in side kicking and can be
used to exercise both legs, one at a time. In
operation, a user will adjust the foot pad vertically
to a desired position and ensure that the pin 29 is
located properly to lift the desired number of
weights. Next, a user will adjust the handle
vertically and horizontally so that the handle is
close to the foot pad and can be conveniently held by
the user when a foot of the user is placed on the foot
pad and the leg of the user is bent at the knee and
thigh. The user may wish to orient the handle at a
45 angle to the kicking surface of the foot pad. For
left leg exercise, the user will typically rotate the
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1310~27
handle 45O counterclockwise from its usual position
parallel to the kicking surface. For right leg
exercise, the user will typically rotate the handle
45 clockwise from its usual position. The user will
then extend his leg fully, thereby causing the foot
pad to pivot away from the han~le and then relax his
leg so that the foot pad will return to a rest
position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The user will
then continue to extend and relax his leg for a
desired time interval~ Thus, the machine can be used
to exercise the legs of a user, one at a time, to
develop and strengthen those muscles that are used for
side kicking.
Alternatively, the user can use the machine
as a simulator for side kicking and actually practice
kicking the foot pad in a side kicXing manner. In
this position, the handle 8 will be moved further away
from the foot pad than it was for the exercise
position. The user will adjust the foot pad
vertically and the handle vertically and horizontally.
The user may wish to orient the handle to a
comfortable position depending on which leg the user
intends to use for kicking the foot pad. The user
will adjust the pin 29 for the weight stack 26 to
ensure that a desired number of weights will be lifted
as the handle is pivoted. Some users will want to use
all of the weights so that the foot pad will not pivot
at all. Thus the machine can be used as a side kick
simulator. As the practice session proceeds the user
may wish to change the position of the foot pad and/or
handle or make adjustments to the weights. The method
of using the machine will vary with the individual
desires and objectives of users.
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131~27
It should be noted that the actual machine 2
is taller than that shown in Figure 1. The legs of
the frame 4 are long enough to allow a user to fit
comfortably beneath the top of the frame 4 in a
standing position. The legs shown in Figure 1 are
drawn shorter than normal for ease of illustration.
