TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a fold-up flat bench for training purposes.

Particularly, the invention relates to a training fold-up flat bench which is suitable for people who prefer to train at home in the presence of specific space requirements.

Currently, the solutions of the state of the art provide flat benches which can be folded, however, such flat benches are difficult and time-consuming to be opened and closed.

Moreover, once these benches are closed, they have no utility, and they are uncomfortable and difficult to be moved from the training room to a storage room.

Accordingly, an aim of the present invention is to provide a fold-up flat bench which can be easily opened and closed with a fast and simple manipulation.

A further aim is to provide a fold-up flat bench which, when closed, can act as a seat and can be easily transported from one room to another.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is a fold-up flat bench comprising a support frame, at least two legs pivotally connected to said frame by suitable means, means for moving said frame across the surface of a floor, at least two back panels pivotally connected to the support frame by suitable means and movable between a closed position in which said pivoting back panels are perpendicular to the surface of the floor, and an opened position in which said pivoting back panels are parallel to the surface of the floor, said pivoting back panels being suitably connected to said pivoting legs in such a way that a pivoting movement of a back panel is coordinated with the movement of the respective pivoting leg.

These and other features of the invention, and the advantages derived therefrom, will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is provided by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the opened position;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench when in the opened position, with the headrests closed;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench when in the closed position;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the seating mode;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the connecting means which allow the pivoting back panels to be rotated with respect to the pivoting legs of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the closed position;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the connecting means which allow the pivoting back panels to be rotated with respect to the pivoting legs of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the opened position;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the closed position;

Fig. 8 is a front view of the coupling between the pivoting back panel and the folding headrest.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a fold-up flat bench 1 according to the present invention when in the opened position.

From the Figure it can be seen that there are pivoting back panels 2 with a folding headrest 20 positioned at the ends thereof.

Said pivoting back panels 2 are suitably mounted to a support frame 10 which comprises moving means 4, preferably in the form of idle steering wheels, for facilitating the transportation of the bench from the training room to a storage room, a perforated member 5, and at least two pivoting legs 3 suitably connected to the pivoting back panels 2 through connecting means which allow said pivoting back panels 2 to be rotated with respect to said pivoting legs 3.

Said perforated member 5 is provided with a series of holes for coupling training straps to said frame.

Indeed, in order to obtain a fixed anchoring point, it is sufficient to engage the ends of said straps with the perforated member 5, thus avoiding drilling into the walls or the like in order to provide them with suitable coupling systems.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench when in the opened position, with the headrests 20 closed.

From the Figure, in which like numerals refer to like parts, it is clear how the pivoting back panels 2 are each suitably connected to both a plate-shaped member 1 10 and a member 130 so as to form an articulated quadrilateral for each of the pivoting back panels 2, thereby allowing said components to be rotated with respect to the support frame 10.

The plate-shaped member 1 10 is connected to both a pivoting back panel 2 and a member 140, said member 140 being integral with the support frame 10, while the member 130 is connected to both the pivoting back panel 2 and the support frame 10.

Moreover, said member 130 is coupled with a guide means 120, said guide means 120 being provided with a suitably shaped slot 121.

The member 140 is coupled with the pivoting leg 3 via a pin 141 , said pivoting leg 3 being provided with a suitably shaped slot 30 along which said pin 141 is slidable.

Furthermore, from the Figure it can be appreciated that, when said pivoting legs 3 are resting on the surface of the floor 9, the support frame 10 is at a greater distance from the surface of the floor 9 as compared to the same support frame when resting only on said idle steering wheels 4, however, the idle steering wheels 4, which are integral with said support frame 10, are still contacting the surface of the floor 9.

In such a condition, said idle steering wheels 4 simply act as resting points for the support frame 10 and not as rolling fulcrums.

Therefore, when in the opened position, the fold-up flat bench 1 is resting on at least six points, two points being provided by the pivoting legs 3 and four points being provided by the idle steering wheels 4.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the closed position.

The pivoting back panels 2 are perpendicular to the surface of the floor 9, the pivoting legs 3 are located underneath the support frame 10, and the wheels 4 are contacting the surface of the floor 9 so as to allow said fold-up bench 1 to be easily transported from one room to another, e.g. from the training room to a storage room.

From a comparison of Fig. 2 with Fig. 3, it can be understood how the fold-up bench 1 can be opened and closed, and how the pivoting legs 3 can be pivoted.

For example, referring now to Fig. 3 which shows the fold-up flat bench 1 when in the closed position, said fold-up bench 1 can be opened by simply grasping the ends of the pivoting back panels 2 and pushing them downwards until said pivoting back panels 2 are parallel to the surface of the floor 9, thereby obtaining a resting surface for training purposes.

Instead, in order to close the bench, it is required to grasp the ends of the pivoting back panels 2 and rotating them upwards.

The relative movements of the pivoting back panels 2, which are suitably connected to both the members 1 10 and the pivoting members 130 so as to form an articulated quadrilateral for each pivoting back panel 2, with respect to the support frame 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the seating mode.

From the Figure it can be seen that one pivoting back panel 2 is in the closed position and the other pivoting back panel 2 is in the opened position.

With this configuration, the fold-up bench 1 can act as a seat, i.e., it can become either a chair or a sitting surface as necessary.

In fact, said one pivoting back panel 2 in the closed position can act as a backrest, while said other pivoting back panel 2 in the opened position can act as a resting surface.

When in the opened position, the pivoting leg 3 connected to the pivoting back panel 2 is resting on the surface of the floor 9, in such a way that the respective idle steering wheels 4 act as resting points due to the fact that they are raised from the surface of the floor 9 by a certain amount.

In fact, when the pivoting leg 3 is resting on the surface of the floor 9, the respective idle steering wheels 4 are raised from but in contact with said surface of the floor 9, in such a way that they act as resting points but not as rolling fulcrums.

Instead, if the pivoting leg 3 is not contacting the surface of the floor 9, the respective idle steering wheels 4 are the only contact points of the support frame 10 with said surface of the floor 9.

The movement of the pivoting leg 3 is controlled by opening and closing the respective pivoting back panel 2 in virtue of suitable connecting means which comprise an articulated quadrilateral.

This allows to have a sitting surface which is stable and stationary with respect to the contact points of the bench with the surface of the floor 9, said contact points comprising said four idle steering wheels 4, two of which are raised from the surface of the floor 9 by a certain amount, and said pivoting leg 3.

If needed, the backrest and/or the sitting surface can be optionally extended with the use of folding headrests 20 which are pivotally coupled with each end of the pivoting back panels 2.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the connecting means which allow the pivoting back panels 2 to be rotated with respect to the respective pivoting legs 3 of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the closed position.

From the Figure it can be seen that the support frame 10 has attached thereto the idle steering wheels 4, the plate-shaped member 1 10 and the pivoting member 130.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the connecting means which allow the pivoting back panels to be rotated with respect to the respective pivoting legs of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the opened position.

From a comparison of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, it can be appreciated that, when the pivoting back panels 2 are opened or closed, the respective pivoting legs 3 are correspondingly extended or retracted, respectively.

In fact, the support frame 10, the pivoting member 130, the plate-shaped member 1 10, the guide means 120, the pivoting back panel 2 and the pivoting leg 3 are suitably connected to each other so as to form an articulated quadrilateral which allows said pivoting leg 3 to be extended or retracted based on the opening or closing movement of the respective pivoting back panel 2, said pivoting back panel 2 being connected to the pivoting member 130.

When the closed position depicted in Fig. 5 is changed to the opened position depicted in Fig. 6, it appears evident that, by grasping the end of the pivoting back panel 2 and rotating it downwards, the pivoting member 130, whose one end is hinged to the support frame 10 at a point 131 while the other end is hinged to the pivoting back panel 2 at a point 132, causes the guide means 120 and therefore the pivoting leg 3 to be retracted, said pivoting leg 3 being hinged to said guide means 120.

The pivoting leg 3 has a suitably shaped slot 30 along which the pin 141 is slidable.

Instead, when the bench has to be closed, the end of the pivoting back panel 2 is grasped and rotated upwards.

In this way, the pivoting member 130 is rotated downwards, and the guide means 120 and hence the pivoting leg 3 are correspondingly retracted.

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the fold-up flat bench according to the present invention when in the closed position.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the coupling between the pivoting back panel and the folding headrest.

The folding headrest 20 is suitably connected to the pivoting back panel 2 in such a way that said folding headrest 20 can be easily used or disused as needed.

Moreover, said folding headrest 20 is provided with elastic loading means such as a gas piston 2 .

If said folding headrest 20 is used, the hydraulic jack keeps it in position, thereby preventing the headrest from being closed when a pressure is applied thereto by the head of a user, and thus preventing the user from losing support while training.

Moreover, when the folding headrest 20 is in the closed position, the gas piston keeps it in such a position, thereby preventing the headrest from moving and rotating downwards under the influence of gravity.