Ski exercising and rehabilitation apparatus

A ski-exercising and rehabilitation apparatus of the invention wherein the down-hill-run unit (22), has a system of rotatable rolls (25) mounted with bearings in external clamping beams (20) and (21) and in the central beam (26) so that their rotation axes lie in one arched plane, whereas said central beam (26) is supported on its ends with shock absorbers (27), whereas the ends of external clamping beams (20 and 21) are jointed at one end with the shorter articulated connecting rods (18 and 19) of variable lengths and at the other end with the longer articulated connecting rods (23 and 24) of variable lengths, the other ends of which are rotatably connected with respective discs of the gear wheels (13, 14, 15 and 16) mounted on the front drive shaft (11) and rear drive shaft (12), said external clamping beams (20 and 21) being also jointed to rocking levers (34 and 35) which are connected to actuators (36) mounted in the frame base (1) of the apparatus, whereas the light signs (54), imitating the positions of slalom poles, are located on the track mat (30) of said downhill-run unit (22) in form of bristled track mat banding arcwise the upper drive roll (32) and lower drive roll (31).

The object of this invention is the apparatus for ski exercising and rehabilitation, intended to serve for both beginning and professional skiers as well as for persons rehabilitated, as it enables exercising of those muscle groups which work during an real downhill run and rehabilitation through massage of feet, imitation of downhill or cross-country run, etc. and an improvement of the apparatus according to additional patent application No. P-352640.

The ski exercising apparatus known from Polish patent application No. 181049 consists of a frame base the main plane of which is slanted at acute angle in respect to the lower plane, whereas a track mat, provided with a springing bristled mat and with running rolls, is located above the frame base and is connected rotatably with that base by means of a lever. Besides, the frame base contains a front drive shaft and rear drive shaft and a springing element stimulating a free movement of skis located between the deck and the main ski fixing element. This apparatus is also equipped with the drive unit consisting of electric motor, worm gear and belt transmissions transferring the drive onto the rear drive shaft and then to the front drive shaft and onto driving element of running rolls.

The drawback of the prior-art solution is its low universality, no possibility to use it with various types of ski equipment, for rehabilitation and, what is most important, to use it by beginning skiers, especially children, because the springing element stimulating free movement of skis restricts the free movement with skis and enforces constant concentration of the trainee on commanding the skis.

The objective of this invention is to design an apparatus, which shall enable the skiers a comprehensive exercising at different speeds, including running over uneven terrain of different heights, randomly varying during downhill runs, training for beginners, training on any type of skis, creating of skiing conditions on snow or icy surface, as well as for the rehabilitation of many human organs.

The essence of the apparatus for ski exercising and rehabilitation of the present invention consists in that it has a downhill-run unit containing a system of rotatable rolls with bearings in external clamping beams and in the central beam so that their rotation axes lie in one arched plane whereas the central beam is supported on its ends with shock absorbers while the ends of external clamping beams are jointed with shorter connecting rods and longer connecting rods of variable lengths the other ends of which are rotatably connected with respective discs of the gear wheels mounted on the front drive shaft and rear drive shaft.

Besides, the external clamping beams are jointed to rocking levers connected to actuators mounted in the frame base of the apparatus. In turn, light signs imitating the positions of slalom poles are located on the track mat of the downhill-run unit in form of a bristled track mat banding arcwise the upper drive roll and lower drive roll below, whereas the damping and cooling nozzles, connected with refrigerating unit, are located in the lower portion under the track mat while monitoring unit and the support poles with handles are mounted in the front part of the apparatus. At least one pole is provided with the control panel electrically connected with the main drive motor, with the drive motor of the upper or lower roll, with the refrigeration unit, with signal lights, monitoring unit, diagnostic apparatus with the control panel, air conditioner and actuators. Preferably the shaft of the drive motor constitutes one of the drive rolls, lower or upper one, and the support poles are connected to each other and to the bow with the safety belt provided with safety cut-out switches on its internal surface while the endless track mat has 5 cm long bristles.

The improved solution the apparatus for ski exercising and rehabilitation of the present invention is provided with the frequency converter electricity interconnected with the drive motor and, through a transmission, with the upper drive roll and/or lower drive roll, the frame base of the apparatus is provided with wheels, while the side guards of the base are provided with a flange at their upper edge, crosswise to the track mat. Preferably the drive unit of the downhill-run unit is provided with upper electro-drum banded together with the lower drive roll by the bristled track mat, upper and/or lower electro-drum banded by the bristled track mat. It is preferred also that a track slide plate of arcwise longitudinal cross-section similar to circular sector be located between external clamping beams and supported with shock-absorbers in each corner. Said plate is made of material with high resistance to frictional wear and has its upper surface, contacting the track mat, polished. Besides, the ends of external clamping beams and those of the central beam in this unit are jointed with actuators mounted in the lower part of its frame base and the track mat rims are provided from the bottom with guiding elements, which preferably have a cross-sectional trapeze shape, located in circumferential grooves of the same shape as the guiding elements, made at the ends of driving rolls and/or electro-drums or, when the external clamping beams have slot guides of arcwise contour on their inner surfaces in which the rims of the track mat are located. It is also preferred that the external clamping beams contain in bearings additional rotatable rolls, located on the outside of drive rolls and/or electro-drums, banded with endless carrier belt driven by said band whereas the diameters of the rotatable rolls are smaller than those of the driving rolls and/or of the electro-drums. Besides, in this apparatus the driving rolls and/or the electro-drums and/or additional rolls have cylindrical shapes, or else their ends have truncated cone shapes. Preferably, the apparatus of the invention is provided with skis the lower slide surface of which is made of antistatic material with high resistance to frictional wear, high temperatures, preferably of carbon fiber of Ni—Cr steel.

The basic advantage of the invention is its universality of application enabling the use of. carving, traditional (downhill), cross-country and water skis as well as snowboards. The apparatus may be used by both advanced ski trainees and beginners who wish to learn skiing. The apparatus may also be used for physical mobility rehabilitation of tarsal joints, massage of feet through acting on receptors in feet soles, stimulation of blood circulation, as well as cross-country running exercise at various upward and downward slopes. A person under rehabilitation may be subject to health diagnostic such as heart-rate and blood pressure measurement as well as to effort-related health assessment. The apparatus enables also the training of skiing through moguls of variable heights thus serving for training these muscle groups which are working in a real downhill skiing. The apparatus enables also a creation of winter conditions on the bristled tract mat by spraying water over it and then freezing it. Such cycle may be either continuous, variable or intermittent and thus to simulate the real conditions existing on mountain-side slope. It ensures also the safety of exercising because the safety belt restricts its field and, in case of exceeding it, which is tantamount to a loss of balance, safety cut-out switches switch the main and lower-roll drive motors off. The advantage of his invention is also a direct drive of one of the drive rolls, thus eliminating the need for using additional transmissions from the main drive motor. Besides the advantage of the invention is that a monitoring unit, installed on the stationary strip, visualizes the training on the apparatus synchronized with the virtual world on the screen of monitor and, due to this, one may choose a landscape in real terrain, e.g. skiing in Swiss Alps. The noise of trainee's skiing may also be heard. The training on bristled track mat and light signs on it is shown on the screen as skiing between poles. In this way the trainee may reproduce his/her skiing and check whether his/her exercise contained mistakes or errors. It creates a potential for conducting a slalom hall competition event with the use of the apparatus. One can also read the skiing speed and the mileage as well as show the real downhill ski route. Having independent drives of bristled track mat movement and the speed of the downhill-run unit, various changeable variants may be achieved during the exercise. It avoids the exercising monotony and permits correction of skiing mistakes and errors in a short time. All these advantages of the apparatus of the invention provide safety to the trainee, a feeling of skiing in real conditions without leaving home and without costly, unsafe and long lasting trips in the mountains in search for skiing courses.

Application of castor wheels in the apparatus according to the invention facilitates its placing into a desired location in a specific room whereas the providing of skiing track mat with side V-belts and their driving shafts or electro-drums with grooves of the same profile as the V-belts make the lateral traveling of the track mat impossible. Providing the side guards with flanges crosswise to the track mat, as well as providing the inner walls of external clamping beams with slot guides of arcwise contour also prevents the lateral traveling of the track mat. In turn, the equipping of external clamping bars of the downhill run unit with additional rolls enables banding of drive shafts and electro-drams with costly carrier belt and said rollers with bristled mat driven by said belt, which in turn enables a longer period of service of the carrier belt because in case of local wear of the bristles on the track mat only the much cheaper bristled track mat is subject to replacement.

The application of actuators and frequency converter in the down-hill-run unit drive system enabled elimination of hitherto used shorter and longer connecting rods of variable length as well as the worm gear and belt transmissions, whereas the application of slide plate permitted elimination of electrostatic charges and enabled a considerable lengthening of ski life, which used to be very short because of high temperature generated between ski surface and the track mat.

The invention is presented as the examples of embodiments in figures, whereFIG. 1is the axonometric projection of the apparatus with the frame base with its side guards, resting on castor wheels, with track mat, support poles, safety belt, monitoring unit and the air conditioner,FIG. 2is the axonometric projection of the frame base of the apparatus with its drive unit and downhill-run unit after track-mat and side-guard removal,FIG. 3is the cross section along the A-A line fromFIG. 1of the downhill-run unit with the track mat,FIG. 4is the top view of the same downhill-run unit of the apparatus,FIG. 5is the cross section along the B-B line fromFIG. 4of the same downhill-run unit of the apparatus,FIG. 6is the axonometric projection of the frame base of the apparatus after track-mat and side-guard removal, with downhill-run unit provided with actuators, drive shafts or cylindrical electro-drums and the drive unit provided with frequency converter,FIG. 7is the axonometric projection of the fragment “T” fromFIG. 2of the downhill-run unit provided with drive shafts or cylindrical-and-conical electro-drums,FIG. 8is the axonometric projection of the frame base of the apparatus after track-mat and side-guard removal, with downhill-run unit provided with actuators, cylindrical-and-conical drive shafts as well as the drive unit with frequency converter,FIG. 9is the axonometric projection of the same frame base of the apparatus with the downhill-run unit the external clamping beams of which are provided with drive shafts or electro-drums and with additional rotatable rolls in external bearings,FIG. 10is the top view of the fragment of the downhill-run unit fromFIG. 9,FIG. 11is the cross section along the E-E line fromFIG. 10of the downhill-run unit of the apparatus with the track mat,FIG. 12is the top view of the fragment of the downhill-run unit provided with drive shafts or electro-drums and the with slide plate between them,FIG. 13is the top view of the fragment of the downhill-run unit provided with drive shafts or electro-drums as well as with additional rotatable rolls and the slide plate between them,FIG. 14is the cross section along the C-C line fromFIG. 6of the fragment of downhill-run unit with the slot guide of its track mat,FIG. 15is the cross section along the D-D line fromFIG. 9of the fragment of downhill-run unit with the trapeze guide of its track mat andFIG. 16is the cross section along the F-F line fromFIG. 1of the fragment of the apparatus.

The apparatus of this invention consists of the frame base1, resting on castor wheels2, provided with a brake with the main drive motor3, mounted in said frame base, connected through reducing gear4with the worm gear5. The frame base1is formed by the upper arcwise and slanted side frame beams6and7, with their arc convexity upward. Besides, the frame base1has bottom cross bars8, supportive vertical beams9and bottom side beams10. The lower part of the frame base contains in bearings the front and rear drive shafts,11and12, respectively, driven with the main drive shaft3. Driving chain wheels,13and14, are mounted on one and the other ends of the front drive11and driving chain wheels,15and16, are mounted on one and the other ends of the rear drive shaft12. Driving chain wheels,13,14,15and16have the same diameters and constitute chain transmissions with chains17. Ends of shorter connecting rods18and19of variable length are pivoted to chain disks of the driving chain wheels,13and14, mounted on front drive shaft11, whereas their other ends are pivoted to external clamping beams20and21of the downhill-run unit22. On the other hand, the ends of longer connecting rods23and24of variable length are pivoted to driving chain disks of driving chain wheels,15and16mounted on the rear drive shaft12, whereas their other ends are pivoted to external clamping beams20and21of the downhill-run unit22. The downhill-run unit22has a system of rotatable rolls25with bearings in external clamping beams20and21as well as in the central beam26supported at its ends by shock absorbers27. The central beam26is located between two rows of rotatable rolls28and29constituting a system of rotatable rolls25. The downhill-run unit22is also provided with endless track mat30with 3-cm long bristles as well as with lower drive roll31and upper drive roll32, constituted by the rotor shaft of drive motor33. Besides, the external clamping beams20and21are jointed with rocking levers34and35coupled with actuators36mounted in frame base1. The rotatable rolls28and29have smaller diameters than the upper and lower drive rolls,32and31, with external pivots37are arranged along the arc in external clamping beams20and21, while their internal pivots38are arranged along the similar arc in the central beam26. The endless bristled track mat30is installed on the upper and lower drive rolls,32and31, and supported by with rotatable rolls28and29, thus forming a surface with arcwise contour. Preferably the section “d”, formed between the straight line “c”, joining the contact points of the endless bristled track-mat30with the upper and lower drive rolls,32and31, and the contact surface of said track mat with the rotatable rolls28and29in the highest point “D” of the track-to-roll contact located on the line “f” perpendicular to the straight line “c”, is 4 cm. Such location of the endless bristled track mat30and rotatable rolls28and29enables the training with any type of ski equipment.

There are wetting and cooling nozzles39arranged all through the width of the endless bristled track mat30and connected with the refrigerating unit40. They first supply water onto the surface of this track mat and then freeze it.

A monitoring unit45, located in the front part of the stationary strip41between the support poles with control panel43at the handle44and breaker switches, synchronized with the functioning of the entire apparatus, wherefrom the skiing speed and the number of kilometers passed may be red. The screen of said unit may visualize the real downhill-run route in the terrain. In turn, a rigid safety belt48is fixed to one support pole42, to bow46located on the rear guard47and to the other pole42, whereas both the bow46and the rigid safety belt48and support pole42, are provided with safety cut-out switches49enabling total stop of motion of the downhill-run unit in case the trainee has exceeded his/her field of maneuver. The apparatus is also equipped with the diagnostic unit for the trainee with control panel50installed on the support pole42as well as air conditioner51located in the lower part of the apparatus. The side beams6,7and10of the frame base1are covered by side guards52which have flanges53on their internal peripheries crosswise to the endless bristled track mat30. There are light signals54simulating the positions of slalom track poles on the endless bristled track mat30.

In other examples of execution of this invention (FIGS. 6,8and9) instead of drive rolls31and32mounted on the ends of external clamping beams20and21of the downhill-run unit22, there are the lower electro-drum55and upper electro-drum56or upper electro-drum56and the lower drive roll31or lower electro-drum55and the lower drive roll32, whereas said electro-drums, or electro-drum with respective roll, are banded by the endless bristled track mat30.

In the subsequent examples of execution of this apparatus (FIGS. 6 and 9) its driving unit is provided with frequency converter57installed in the lower part of the frame base1, electrically connected with the main drive motor3as well as, through a belt transmission58, with the upper drive roil32or lower drive rod31.

In the subsequent examples of execution the ends of drive rolls31and32and electro-drums55and56of the downhill-run unit22have the shape of truncated cones59, whereas the ends of external clamping beams20and21and the central beam26of said unit are jointed with actuators60installed in the lower part of the frame base1(FIGS. 6-9).

In the other example of execution, presented inFIG. 12 and 13, the slide plate61for the endless bristled track mat30is located between external clamping beams20and21of the downhill-run unit22and drive rolls31and32or electro-drums55and56and is supported with shock absorbers62in each corner. Said slide plate61is made of chromium nickel steel, has elongated arcwise shape similar to circular sector and its upper surface contacting the endless bristled track mat30is polished.

In a further example of execution (FIGS. 12,13and15) the rims of the endless bristled track mat30are provided at its back side with V-belts63, located and guided in the circumferential grooves64of the same profile as the V-belts63made at ends of drive rolls31and32and/or electro-drums55and56.

In the other example of execution (FIGS. 9 and 14) the external clamping beams20and21of the downhill run unit22have slot guides65of arcwise outline on their internal surfaces which take in the rims of the endless bristled track mat30.

In a further example of execution of the apparatus of the invention (FIGS. 10 and 11) the external clamping beams20and21of the downhill-run unit22contain in bearings additional rotatable rolls66and67located on the outside of the driving rolls31and32and/or electro-drums55and56whereas the driving rolls,31and32and/or the electro-drums,55or56are banded with endless carrier belt68whereas the additional rotatable rolls66and67are banded with endless bristled track mat69driven with carrier belt68, whereas the diameters of rotatable rolls66and67are smaller Man those of the drive rolls31and32and/or electro-drums55and56.

The apparatus of the invention executed in all above described versions is equipped with skis the bottom slide surface of which is made of carbon fiber, whereas in the other embodiment said surface is made of chrome-nickel steel.

The functions of the apparatus are realized in two basic variants: the trainee, positioned on the endless bristled track mat30, uses the control panel to switch ON the main drive motor3and adjusts its slope, then he/she starts the drive motor33of the upper drive roll32which moves the endless bristled track mat30and said mat, in turn, puts into motion a system of rotatable rolls25and the lower drive roll31The trainee holds the grip handles44of support poles42, begins exercising while performing various maneuvers and motions as are done during downhill skiing. He/she may train slalom skiing because the endless bristled track mat30is provided with light signs54for such skiing. Without skis, the trainee may run upward or downward, in shoes or without, and perform various rehabilitation exercises, while selecting the slope and speed of the endless bristled track mat30to suit his/her weight.

For beginners, especially children, an additional horizontal support bar, not shown on the drawing, may be fixed between the support poles42. The trainee, while holding it, may concentrate on arranging and lifting of skis, thus getting accustomed to downhill skiing. The apparatus may be used for training of water skiers. For that, the motor33is run in a reverse sense of drive rotation. The trainee may watch entire course of his/her maneuvers, and the distance (kilometers) passed, on the screen of the monitoring unit45and check what and where mistakes has been made.

In case of training the skiing over moguls the trainee uses the control panel43to start the main variable-speed drive motor3on which drives the reduction gear4, worm gear5and rear drive shaft12, chain drive wheels15and16and then chains17and drive wheels13and14transmit the drive to the front drive shaft11.

Then, from chain wheels13-16, through shorter connecting rods18and19and longer connecting rods23and24of variable length, as well as rocking levers34and35, the downhill-run unit22is put into shifting and self-aligning motion, thus enforcing the skiing over moguls. The drive motor33is also ON and the endless bristled track mat30moves in a mode that can be varied during training. Also, during training, the speed of the main drive motor3can be varied, the lengths of shorter connecting rods,18and19as well as23and24, and those of rocking levers34and35, can be changed as well.

As a result, a number of skiing combinations are achievable for the trainee and training satisfaction while the exercising monotony is limited to minimum. The monitoring unit45enables reading of skiing speed, and the distance (kilometers) passed in specific time, on the screen. Bow46and a rigid safety belt48joining the bow with support poles42, protect the trainee against balance-loss threatening positions of the body, whereas the safety cut-out switches49protect the trainee in case of exceeding the motion field on the endless bristled track mat30. Then, each touch of the rigid safety belt48with trainee's body or positioning it in the line of the light (sender-receiver) signal of the specific cut-out switch shall stop of the apparatus. In both variants the trainee may have the skiing approximated to winter conditions by switching ON the refrigeration unit40. Through damping and cooling nozzles39said unit will freeze water all over the external surface of the endless bristled track mat30and will maintain during training any state of the surface similar to skiing over a snow-covered slope. The control panel50and the diagnostic unit connected to it enables also reading the health state of the trainee—his/her blood pressure, heart rate. Also, on starting the air-conditioning unit51air is blown onto the trainee thus providing a feeling of skiing in free air, whereas during skiing over moguls the rotatable rolls28and29yield, together with the central beam26, and then the trainee sags onto the endless bristled track mat30. In case of using the electro-drums55and56of actuators60, frequency converter57, additional rotatable rolls66and67as well as the slide plate61the principle of operation of the apparatus in analogical to that described above.