Handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics for exercise apparatus
A handle is composed of a left handlebar having a left gripping section, and a right handlebar having a right gripping section. The two gripping sections extend along a longitudinal axle of the handle and are respectively longer than the breath of the user's hand, i.e. the user can hold one of optional positions of the handle. Each of the two gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along the surface thereof. Each of the contact faces is electrically conductive but not in electrical connection with the others. The contact faces are respectively electrically connected to a particular processor of an exercise apparatus, such that the processor can scan the user's human electrical signals, like frequency of potential difference or impedance, and further transform the signals into corresponding human physiological characteristics.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise apparatuses, and more particularly, to a handle which is mounted to an exercise apparatus for detecting human physiological characteristics, such as heartbeat frequency or body fat percentage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, a variety of advanced exercise apparatuses, like jogging machines, exercise bicycles, walking machines, and so on, are provided with electrically conductive terminals on the surfaces of the handles for the user's holding. Particular electronic circuits can scan the electrical signals of human body, like frequency of potential difference, impedance, or capacitance, such that the user's human physiological characteristics, like heartbeat frequency or body fat percentage, can be detected and displayed on the screen to enable the user to be aware of the body condition or how the exercise takes effect.
Generally speaking, the heartbeat is detected by that two hands respectively appropriately approach and contact two electrically conductive terminals so as to enable the frequency of potential difference of human body to be scanned; the body fat percentage is determined by that the two hands respectively contact the two electrically conductive terminals so as to enable the biochemical impedance or capacitance of human body to be detected and to be further converted to body fat content of the user so as to calculate the body fat percentage of the user. The conventional exercise apparatus capable of detecting heartbeat frequency and body fat percentage is provided with two or four electrically conductive terminals on particular sections of the handle, i.e. on surfaces of two predetermined portions of the handle respectively for two hands' holding. When the user precisely holds the handle and contacts those conductive terminals, the electrical signals in the user's body can be scanned. For example, a conventional jogging machine includes a transversally straight handle, which has two metal pieces at two substantially central positions of the left and right sides of the top surface thereof. When the user holds the handle and contacts the two metal pieces, the user's heartbeat can be detected. Another conventional jogging machine includes a C-shaped handle, which two distal ends are bent forwards, then backwards, and further inwards and which has two metal pieces mounted adjacent to the two distal ends thereof. When the user holds the two distal ends of the handle and presses the two metal pieces by thumbs, the user's body fat content can be detected.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned prior arts include drawbacks as follows. The conductive terminals are mounted on particular positions of the surface of the handle, and the user needs to allow the two hands precisely to hold on the particular positions to proceed with the detection. However, while common people operate those conventional exercise apparatuses, they will naturally hold optimal positions of the handle within possible range according to their personal body shapes, habitual postures, or exercise degree though some of conventional handles are designed for people to hold different positions of the handles. Hence, the handles of the aforementioned conventional exercise apparatuses restrain the user from free exercise posture, such that the user will feel quite restrained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe primary objective of the present invention is to provide a handle of an exercise apparatus, which can detect human physiological characteristics wherever the user holds within possible range according to personal body shape, exercise posture, or exercise condition, such that the user can do exercise freely and comfortably without constraint.
The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the handle which is composed of a left handlebar having a left gripping section, and a right handlebar having a right gripping section. The two gripping sections extend along a longitudinal axle of the handle and are respectively longer than the breath of the user's hand, i.e. the user can hold one of optional positions of the handle. Each of the two gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along the surface thereof. When the user holds the handle, the two hands respectively touch the contact faces of the two gripping sections. Each of the contact faces is electrically conductive but not in electrical connection with the others. The contact faces are respectively electrically connected to a particular processor of an exercise apparatus, such that the processor can scan the user's human electrical signals and further transform the signals into corresponding human physiological characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
The handle 10 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a left handlebar 11 and a right handlebar 12, which are symmetrically connected to bilateral sides of the top side of the base 22 but not connected with each other inside the base 22. Each of the two handlebars 11 and 12 is a substantially L-shaped elongated bar, which includes a first section transversally extending outwards from the base 22 for a predetermined length and a second section extending upwards from an end of the first section for a predetermined length; each of the first and second sections is longer than the breadth of the user's palm, such that the user can hold the two handlebars 11 and 12 by two hand respectively holding proper positions of the first sections, as shown in
Referring to
When the user operates the exercise apparatus, based on personal body shape, habitual posture, or exercise degree, the user's left and right hands naturally holds proper positions of the left and right handlebars 11 and 12 to do exercise with the most comfortable posture. Wherever the user's two hands hold the handlebars 11 and 12 within the gripping sections 13 and 14, the two hands can touch the contact faces 18 of the conductive bars 17 of the two handlebars 11 and 12 at the same time to enable the processor 28 to scan the biochemical impedance or capacitance of the two hands, to further convert it into the body fat percentage, and then to show the body fat percentage via the display interface 24 for the user's reference.
Referring to
Referring to
In conclusion, the handle of the exercise apparatus can detect human physiological characteristics wherever the user holds within possible range according to personal body shape, exercise posture, or exercise degree, such that the user can do exercise freely and comfortably without constraint.
It is to be noted that the handle of the present invention is not structurally limited to two separated handlebars as described in aforementioned preferred embodiments but can be a single rod member or others having the two gripping sections respectively for the two hands' holding; each of the gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along a longitudinal axle thereof, and the contact faces are not connected with each other and are electrically connected to the processor.
Claims
1. A handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics and mounted on an exercise apparatus for a user's two hands holding while doing exercise, said exercise apparatus having a processor for converting inputted body electrical signals into human physiological characteristics and a display interface for showing the human physiological characteristics, said handle having a left gripping section for the left hand of the user and a right gripping section for the right hand of the user, said two gripping sections extending along a longitudinal axle of said handle and both being longer than the breadth of the user's hand, each of said gripping sections having at least one contact face extending along a longitudinal axle thereof from a surface thereof to be respectively touched by two hands of the user while the user holds said handle, each of said contact faces being electrically conductive and electrically connected to said processor but not in electrical connection with the others, whereby the user's body electrical signals can be inputted in said processor through the contact faces.
2. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of an insulating material, said gripping section having a conductive bar embedded on a surface of said main body, said conductive bar being made of a well conductive material extending along said gripping section, a surface of said conductive bar being exposed on the surface of the main body to form said contact face.
3. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of an insulating material, said gripping section having two conductive bars embedded on a surface of said main body, each of said two conductive bars being made of a well conductive material spaced apart and extending along said gripping section, a surface of each said conductive bar being exposed on the surface of the main body to form said contact face.
4. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of a well conductive material and having a surface of the main body to form said contact face.
5. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a left handlebar and a right handlebar, said two handlebars being spaced apart; said left gripping section is positioned on said left handlebar; said right gripping section is positioned on said right handlebar.
6. A handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics and mounted on an exercise apparatus for a user's two hands holding while doing exercise, said exercise apparatus having a processor for converting inputted body electrical signals into human physiological characteristics and a display interface for showing the human physiological characteristics, said handle having a left gripping section for the left hand of the user and a right gripping section for the right hand of the user, said two gripping sections extending along a longitudinal axle of said handle and both being longer than the breadth of the user's hand, each of said gripping sections having at least two electrically conductive bars parallel to each other thereof to be touched by two hands of the user while the user holds said handle, two of said electrically conductive bars being electrically conductive and electrically connected to said processor, whereby the user's body electrical signals can be inputted in said processor through the contact faces.
7. The handle as defined in claim 6, wherein electrically conductive bars are horizontally parallel.
8. The handle as defined in claim 6, wherein electrically conductive bars are vertically parallel.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 23, 2004
Publication Date: Jan 20, 2005
Applicant: CHANG YOW INDUSTRY CO., LTD. (Changhua Hsien)
Inventor: Choa-Chuan Chen (Taichung Hsien)
Application Number: 10/873,262