EXERCISING
Among other things, an exercise machine includes a resistance device connected to a flexible driving line used to drive the resistance device. A flexible exercise line receives forces applied by the user's hands and feet during cycles of exercising. A force transfer mechanism couples forces, received on the exercise line from the user during exercising, to the resistance device during the exercise cycles, and moves back and forth relative to a frame of the machine. The force transfer mechanism rides along, and is supported vertically, by a support during use of the machine.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,869, filed Oct. 2, 2009, and incorporated here in its entirety by reference.
BACKGROUNDExercising is frequently done on an exercise machine in which motion of the exerciser's arms or legs is resisted by a resistance device such as a rotating fan. In some rowing machines, for example, as a user simulates a rowing cycle, a seat holding the user glides back and forth along the frame in response to the user applying force to a handle and a foot rest. In some rowing machines, the resistance device moves back and forth on the frame in response to the forces.
SUMMARYIn general, in an aspect, an exercise machine includes a resistance device connected to a flexible driving line used to drive the resistance device. A flexible exercise line receives forces applied by the user's hands and feet during cycles of exercising. A force transfer mechanism couples forces, received on the exercise line from the user during exercising, to the resistance device during the exercise cycles, and moves back and forth relative to a frame of the machine. The force transfer mechanism rides along, and is supported vertically, by a support during use of the machine.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The force transfer mechanism slides on the support. The force mechanism rides along a direction corresponding to the directions of the forces applied by the user's hands and feet. The support comprises a rail. The support includes a mechanism to reduce friction as the force transfer mechanism rides along the support. The friction reducing mechanism includes a material. The material comprises a layer. The layer lies between the force transfer mechanism and the support. The support includes a mechanism to reduce noise from the movement of the force transfer mechanism on the support. The noise reducing mechanism includes a material. The material comprises a layer. The layer lies between the support and a layer of a friction reducing material. The support is positioned below a rail connected to a seat for the user and a foot rest assembly that receives the force applied by the user's feet. One end of the support and the rail are attached to a structural element and the other end of the support and the rail are attached to the resistance device to constitute a frame for the machine. The force transfer mechanism has at least one side piece having a bearing surface that rides on the support. The force transfer mechanism is connected to a resilient flexible line. The resilient flexible line applies a force on the force transfer mechanism to take up slack in the flexible exercise line during parts of the exercise cycle when the user is applying less force than other parts of the exercise cycle. The force applied by the resilient flexible line is as low as 3 pounds.
These and other aspects and features, and combinations of them, can be expressed as methods, apparatus, means for steps for performing functions, systems, components, and applications, and in other ways.
Other aspects and features will be apparent from the following description, and from the claims.
Referring to
As a result, as the user sitting on a movable seat 118 works through a rowing cycle—during parts of which he or she pulls on and lets up on the handle and pushes or pulls or lets up on the foot rest—the handle, the foot rest, and the seat can move back and forth 140, 152, 153 along a rail 126 that is part of a frame 129 of the machine, to provide a more realistic rowing experience, among other benefits.
The rowing machine 100 simulates, for example, the effect that motion of a shell underneath a rower—as the shell glides through the water—has on the motion of the rower's feet relative to his torso, among other things. Among other things, because the foot rest 112 can move along the main rail 126 as the user applies force to the foot rest and the handle, the exercise machine 100 simulates the inertia, resistance, and motion experienced by a rower when he rows a shell on water.
In some implementations, the resistance device 132 is attached in a fixed position along the length of the main rail 126 of the exercise machine, which allows the frame to be shorter, lighter weight, and less expensive to make, than if the resistance device were arranged to move along the rail. In some implementations, some motion of the resistance device relative to the frame could be permitted.
In some examples, the resistance device 132 includes an air resistance fan, for example, of the kind shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,955, incorporated here by reference. In some implementations, the resistance device can be an electrical device or a friction device, for example.
In some implementations that use an air resistance fan, the fan rotates on a central spindle 139. In some examples, a driving sprocket wheel 134 is attached by a one-way clutch (not shown) to the spindle. The one-way clutch enables the sprocket wheel to rotate the fan when the sprocket wheel is driven in one rotational direction 135 and allows the sprocket wheel to rotate freely relative to the fan when the sprocket wheel is driven in the opposite rotational direction 136. A wide variety of other drive arrangements could be used for the fan.
In some cases, the cable 104 extends from the handle through free-wheeling pulleys 106, 110, and 114 (which is part of the pulley assembly 115) and is attached at its other end to a location 601 on a bracket 602 that is part of a foot rest assembly 603.
In some examples, a chain 116 drives the sprocket wheel as the chain moves. One end of the chain can be attached at a fixed point 137. The part of the chain between the fixed attachment point 137 and the sprocket wheel passes through a free running pulley 120 that is part of the pulley assembly 115. The other end of the chain is connected by a coupling 206 to a resilient cord 202 the other end of which is attached to a second fixed point 141.
When the pulley assembly 115 is pulled to the right in response to the combined force 121, the pulley 120 pulls on the cable 116 causing the cable to drive the sprocket wheel in the direction 135. The coupling 206 moves to the left, and the cord 202, which passes through a free wheeling pulley 204, stretches. The force needed to extend the cord is relatively small compared to the force needed to drive the fan. When the combined force 121 on the pulley assembly falls below the restoring force exerted by the stretched cord, the stretched cord 202 contracts, pulling in the slack of the chain.
During a rowing cycle, the user applies various forces to the handle, the foot rest, and the seat, and the fan resists the combined forces applied to the handle and the foot rest. At times during the cycle, the user applies essentially no force on the handle, and allows the cable 104 to be taken up by a force on the foot rest or the restoring force of the cord, or both. At times during the cycle, the user applies essentially no force 119 on the foot rest and allows the foot rest to move to the left on
In general, the combined forces on the handle and the foot rest are applied to perform work against the resistance device. Essentially there is no net force acting on the user to move the seat either to the left or to the right. As a result, there need not be any motion of the seat 118 in either direction 153 during a rowing cycle. Although motion of the seat is not necessary, a small movement of the seat 153 may occur as the user shifts his upper body mass from one portion of the rowing cycle to another portion. Typically, the small motion of the seat will be in the direction opposite to the motion of the user's torso. For example, as the user pushes hard on the foot rest and pulls hard on the handle, he will also tend to shift his body mass away from the foot rest, causing the seat to move slightly towards the footrest.
As shown in
As the user starts the rowing stroke, the user pulls back 117 on the handle 102 towards the user's torso, and at the same time may push 119 on the foot rest. The resulting combined force 121 (e.g., the sum of the forces applied on the footrest and on the handle) performs work through the chain 116 and the sprocket wheel 134 to drive the resistance device. The resistance device resists the force, and the work performed by the user exercises the user's muscles. In the example of
As shown in
As shown in
After reaching the end of the stroke, the user goes through a recovery portion of the rowing cycle, illustrated in
Therefore, in the examples being discussed, during the stroke and recovery there is relatively large motion back and forth of the handle and the foot rest, with work being done against the fan during the stroke. There can be some motion of the seat back and forth, but the motion is relatively small. Rowing on water is effectively simulated and, because the resistance device need not move back and forth also, the machine can be compact.
In some implementations, as shown in
At its other end, the rail 126 is supported on an assembly 189. The assembly 189 includes a foot 133, a leg 235, and two supports 237 that bear a pair of parallel cylindrical rails 1199, 1196 along which the seat can ride on four wheels 127 (not all shown). Brackets 239 prevent the seat from being removed from the assembly 189. The assembly also includes two structural pieces 241, 243.
In some implementations, the mounting of the seat can include a restraining or centering mechanism that urges the seat toward a central “home” location along its supporting rails. The mechanism could be an elastic centering device that connects the seat to the supporting assembly. In some examples, the rails can have a slightly curved contour with a low point at the center of travel.
The foot rest includes two plates 112 for the user's two feet, each mounted on a vertical bracket 312. Each vertical bracket bears a pair of upper wheels 113 that ride along the top of the rail 126 and a bottom wheel 111 that rides along the bottom of the rail 126. The wheels also keep the foot rest in place and prevent it from being removed from the rail. The bracket 602 is mounted between the two brackets 312. A hook 195 is mounted to project from the foot rest assembly to receive the handle when not in use. A wide variety of structures and components and their interaction can be used to achieve the benefits described. These include a wide variety of devices, including cables, chains, cords, straps, and other schemes to transmit forces between the handle and the foot rest. In some cases, there may be some resilience in the force transmitting device to provide selected dynamic characteristics.
A wide variety of transfer mechanisms can be used to transfer the combined force on the cable to drive the resistance device. Other pulley arrangements are possible, and the transfer mechanism need not include pulleys. In some implementations in which the element that transmits force between the handle and the footrest is a line, like a cable or cord, for example, the force transmitting mechanism needs to permit the line to slide back and forth freely as forces change, while still transmitting the combined force to the resistance device.
In some examples of an exercise machine 500, as shown in
In some implementations of an exercise machine 100, shown in
The second rail 125 houses and vertically supports the pulley assembly 115 or other transfer mechanism. Because the transfer mechanism is supported vertically, there is no risk of the transfer mechanism dangling towards the ground if the tension on the cables that run through the mechanism is low. As a result, that tension on cord 202 may, if desired, be made deliberately low (for example, a tension as low as 3 pounds, or even lower in some examples, in the horizontal direction 109). A low tension may more accurately simulate rowing a shell through water during the parts of the cycle, namely the recovery, illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring again to
By positioning the rail 126 higher relative to the foot assembly 603 and the seat support 237, there is more space between the rail 126 and the ground to place the second support rail 125 and the third rail 128. The higher rail 126 and the second rail 125 can both extend from the front vertical posts 108 to the rear assembly 189 with a space between the two rails. This provides the basis for a frame for the machine that is structurally sound and also efficient in both space and production cost.
Referring to
Referring again to
As shown in
Because the force transfer mechanism is supported by the rail 125, the cord 202 does not need to apply a tension on the force transfer mechanism greater than the effect of gravity on the force transfer mechanism. With the support of the rail 125, the tension provided by the cord 202 can be lowered to take up the slack on the chain with only enough force to provide a more realistic simulation for the user of a shell on the water.
In some implementations of an exercise machine 100, shown in
Referring to
Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
For example, the force transfer mechanism can be supported by a cable connected from above the force transfer mechanism. This cable could be connected on the other end to an element that slides along the top 149 of the rail 125. The force transfer mechanism could also be supported from the sides, by connecting one or both of the two side plates 702, 703 to the side walls 150, 151 of the rail 125 using a cable and a slot in the walls 150, 151 of the rail 125. In some implementations, the bottom of the force transfer mechanism and the floor of the rail 125 can be magnetized with the same polarity so that the force transfer mechanism and the floor of the rail 125 repel each other.
In some implementations, the seat 118 could be fixed in place rather than being able to ride back and forth 153 along its support.
Claims
1. An exercise machine comprising
- a resistance device connected to a flexible driving line used to drive the resistance device,
- a flexible exercise line to receive forces applied by the user's hands and feet during cycles of exercising,
- a force transfer mechanism that couples forces, received on the exercise line from the user during exercising, to the resistance device during the exercise cycles, and moves back and forth relative to a frame of the machine, and a support along which the force transfer mechanism rides during use of the machine and that supports the force transfer mechanism vertically.
2. The machine of claim 1 in which the force transfer mechanism slides on the support.
3. The machine of claim 1 in which the force mechanism rides along a direction corresponding to the directions of the forces applied by the user's hands and feet.
4. The machine of claim 1 in which the support comprises a rail.
5. The machine of claim 1 in which the support includes a mechanism to reduce friction as the force transfer mechanism rides along the support.
6. The machine of claim 5 in which the friction reducing mechanism includes a material.
7. The machine of claim 6 in which the material comprises a layer.
8. The machine of claim 7 in which the layer lies between the force transfer mechanism and the support.
9. The machine of claim 1 in which the support includes a mechanism to reduce noise from the movement of the force transfer mechanism on the support.
10. The machine of claim 9 in which the noise reducing mechanism includes a material.
11. The machine of claim 10 in which the material comprises a layer.
12. The machine of claim 11 in which the layer lies between the support and a layer of a friction reducing material.
13. The machine of claim 1 in which the support is positioned below a rail connected to a seat for the user and a foot rest assembly that receives the force applied by the user's feet.
14. The machine of claim 13 in which one end of the support and the rail are attached to a structural element and the other end of the support and the rail are attached to the resistance device to constitute a frame for the machine.
15. The machine of claim 1 in which the force transfer mechanism has at least one side piece having a bearing surface that rides on the support.
16. The machine of claim 1 in which the force transfer mechanism is connected to a resilient flexible line.
17. The machine of claim 16 in which the resilient flexible line applies a force on the force transfer mechanism to take up slack in the flexible exercise line during parts of the exercise cycle when the user is applying less force than other parts of the exercise cycle.
18. The machine of claim 17 in which the force applied by the resilient flexible line is as low as 3 pounds.
19. An exercise machine comprising
- a resistance device connected to a flexible driving line used to drive the device,
- a flexible exercise line to receive forces applied by the user's hands and feet during cycles of exercising,
- a force transfer mechanism in which pulleys couple forces, received on the exercise line from the user during exercising, to the resistance device during the exercise cycles, the force transfer mechanism having a bearing surface that slides back and forth along, and is supported vertically by, a support on a frame of the machine
- a resilient flexible line that applies a force on the force transfer mechanism to take up slack in the flexible exercise line during parts of the exercise cycle when the user is applying less force than during other parts of the exercise cycle, and
- a rail connected to a seat and a foot rest assembly, the rail positioned above the support.
20. A method comprising
- in an exercise machine, driving a resistance device using a flexible driving line, receiving forces applied by the user's hands and feet during cycles of exercise, on a flexible exercise line, using a force transfer mechanism, coupling forces received on the exercise line from the user during exercising to the resistance device during exercising, in addition to forces applied from the flexible driving line and the flexible exercise line, applying an upward vertical force on the force transfer mechanism during use of the machine.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 22, 2010
Publication Date: Apr 26, 2012
Inventors: Dick Dreissigacker (Morrisville, VT), Peter D. Dreissigacker (Stowe, VT)
Application Number: 12/909,901