Flip and grip handle system for lateral pulldown exercise machine

A gripping assembly for a lateral pulldown exercise machine, having: a swivel link connected to a center mount, wherein the swivel link is adapted to be pivotally connected to a pulldown arm of a lateral pulldown exercise machine; an outwardly extending arm connected to the center mount for performing wide-angle grips; an inwardly extending arm connected to the center mount, wherein the inwardly extending arm is rotatable between a forwardly angled position and a backwardly pointing position; and a climb hold attached to the center mount.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to lateral pulldown exercise machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,017,238 and 9,604,086 assigned to Hoist Fitness Systems show details of a handle assembly that is fixedly mounted onto the frames of various exercise machines. The handle assembly is used to provide various ways in which the user can grasp onto the exercise machine when doing chin-ups, pull-ups, wide-angle grips or even climbing mount grips. Unfortunately, in these existing systems, the handle assembly is fixed in position on the handlebars and does not move.

It would instead be desirable to provide a versatile moveable gripping handle assembly that can also be used with a “lateral pulldown” machine (understood herein to be an exercise machine in which the user remains in a sitting position and pulls down on a pair of left and right handles to exercise their upper back). Lateral pulldown machines specifically work the user's upper back muscles, especially focusing on the latissimus dorsi. During a standard lateral pulldown, the seated user reaches up and grabs left and right handle grips. Both of the user's elbows and shoulders then bend as the user pulls downwardly on a pair of rotating arms or pulleys connected to lift a weight stack, thereby exercising their upper back muscles. Providing a versatile moveable gripping handle assembly on such a lateral pulldown machine would advantageously give the user a number of different gripping options, and exercise benefits.

Unfortunately, simply mounting the existing handle assembly (from the '238 or '086 patents mentioned above) onto the ends of the rotating pull down arms of a standard lateral pulldown machine would not be ideal. Specifically, it would not address the issue of the ends of the various gripping arms rotating somewhat as they are pulled down. Therefore, what is now desired is a system that allows the gripping handle assembly to be pulled downwardly, but without the handles also rotating together with the pulldown arms. Instead, it would be desirable for the gripping handle assembly to be pulled straight downwardly while the pulldown arms rotate. Moreover, it would also optionally be desirable for such a handle assembly to be pivotally connected to the pulldown arms such that a user is able to move the handle assembly slightly forward or backward during the exercise (i.e.: to accommodate bending in the user's shoulders or elbows, as desired). This benefit is especially desirable because different users have different shaped arms with different shoulder and elbow locations. As will be shown, the present system provides a mechanism with a handle assembly that can be pulled downwards without also rotating as it is moved, yet can still permits some back and forth movement of the assembly (if such back and forth movement is desired, depending on the body shape of the user).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present system provides a gripping handle assembly for a lateral pulldown exercise machine, comprising: a center mount; an outwardly extending arm connected to the center mount; an inwardly extending arm connected to the center mount, (wherein the inwardly extending arm is rotatable between a forwardly angled position and a backwardly pointing position); and a rotating swivel link connected to the center mount, wherein the swivel link is adapted to be pivotally connected to an arm of a lateral pulldown exercise machine.

In preferred embodiments, the swivel link hangs straight downwardly when suspended from the arm of the lateral pulldown exercise machine. As such, the gripping assembly (and its various handles) advantageously also remain downwardly hanging during the lateral pulldown exercise.

The present gripping handle assembly preferably provides four different gripping handle locations (or orientations) for a user to use when grabbing onto the assembly and pulling it downwardly. Specifically, an outwardly extending arm is provided for a user to use a wide-grip exercise, and an inwardly extending arm is provided for a user to have one of two narrow grips (depending upon the rotational position of the inner arms). An optional climbing mount can also be provided (for a user to grasp onto a shaped rock-like surface).

In preferred aspects, the opposite inwardly extending arms can be rotated to a forwardly angled position such that the inwardly extending arms are positioned at an angle to one another. Alternatively, the opposite inwardly extending arms can be rotated to a backward facing position where the arms are generally parallel to one another. The advantage of the backwardly angled position is that the arms are sufficiently far apart to provide clearance for a user's head therebetween (when the user is doing a pull up-style exercise).

In the present gripping handle assembly, the components are mounted to a swiveling link. This swiveling link allows the handle assembly functionality to be pivotally attached to a lateral pulldown arm on a lateral pulldown machine instead of the traditional handles currently being used on pivotal lateral pulldown arms industry wide.

A first advantage of the present gripping handle system is that it does not simply rotate together with the machine's pull down arms when the handle assembly is pulled downwardly.

A second advantage of the present gripping handle system is that it provides at least three, and optionally four, different handle orientations or objects that a user can grasp onto when pulling downwardly on the arms of a lateral pulldown machine. As such, the present gripping handle system allows the user to perform chin-up exercises, pull-up exercises, wide grip pull up exercises and a climbing hold exercise. All of these variations are incorporated into a pivotal assembly connected to a lateral pulldown arm on a lateral pulldown machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1shows a lateral pulldown machine10with its arms20in the raised position. The present gripping assembly40is attached to each of arms20.FIG. 2shows the position of arms20after a user (not shown) has been seated and pulls down on arms20. As can be seen, there is a left-handed gripping assembly and a right-handed gripping assembly. The left and right handed gripping assemblies are therefore mirror images of one another.

As shown in more detail in the attached figures, assembly40comprises: a center mount42; an outwardly extending arm43connected to center mount42; and an inwardly extending arm44connected to the opposite side of center mount42. Inwardly extending arm44is rotatable between a forwardly angled position44A (as seen inFIGS. 1, 2, 4A and 6), and a backwardly extending position44B (as seen inFIGS. 3, 4B, and 5).

Also included is a swivel link48connected to center mount42wherein the top end of swivel link48is adapted to be pivotally connected (at point49) to an arm20of lateral pulldown exercise machine10. Since swivel link48is pivotally connected to arm20, assembly40then simply hangs straight downwardly when suspended from arm20of the lateral pulldown exercise machine. Importantly, as the user pulls down on assembly40, swivel link48will pivot (around point49) such that assembly40can hang straight downwardly, and not simply rotate together as a unit with arm20. In addition, however, assembly40can be pushed somewhat back and forth (i.e. rotated somewhat around point49) to accommodate bending movement of the user's shoulders and elbows, should a small amount of such back and forth movement be desired.

As seen inFIG. 4A, when inwardly extending arms are in the forwardly angled position44A, then the inwardly extending arms are positioned at an angle to one another. Conversely, as seen inFIG. 4B, when inwardly extending arms are in the backwardly angled position44Bm then the opposite inwardly extending arms are generally parallel to one another. The advantage of the arm position shown inFIG. 4Bis that arms in position44B are sufficiently far enough apart to provide clearance for a user's head there between (thus allowing the user to pull farther downwardly on rotating arms20).

In summary, the user of the present system advantageously has many different options when holding onto the gripping handles of assembly40. For example, the user can hold the outwardly extending handles43for a wide-grip pull down (FIG. 7). Alternatively, the user can hold the inwardly extending handles44in their forwardly rotated position44A (FIG. 6) or in their rearwardly rotated position44B (FIG. 5). Alternatively, the user may instead simply grab onto climbing mounts45(to pull down on a textured rock-type surface).

When using a lateral pulldown machine with the present pivotal lateral pulldown arm assembly, the user stands and grips one of the exercise handles incorporated in the present assembly40. Next, the user sits down with his/her legs under some type of stabilizing pad for support. The user then performs the exercise by pulling the handles down to chin level and repeating. Advantageously, the present system provides gripping pull down handles permitting a user to perform wide grip pulls ups (using outwardly extending handles43or inwardly extending handles in position44B), or more narrow grip chin ups (using inwardly extending handles in position44A).

FIGS. 8A and 8Bare exploded views that show additional details of the pivoting connection at point49. These exploded views that shows additional components of assembly40, including housing50, bearings52and54, end cap56and nut58. In preferred aspects, the two-part rotational mount assembly47permits inwardly extending handle44to rotate by 90 degrees (such that handles44are positioned parallel to the ground in either of positions44A or44B). Handle44can extend from a housing70(which is connected to housing71by bushing71, washers and end cap72). Similarly, handle43can extend from center mount42. Handle44can be formed from a handle73, finishing ring74, hand grip75and end cap76. Similarly, handle43can be formed from a handle80, finishing ring82, hand grip84and end cap86.