TRAINING APPARATUS

Abstract: The invention relates to training equipment with a first (2) and a second (4) weight magazine, which produce a variable resistance force in a line in the shape of a first toothed belt (10), to which e.g. a (not shown) draw handle is connectable for the application of muscle force (F1). The first toothed belt (10) loaded by the mass (M1) of the first weight magazine (2), and a second toothed belt (12) is loaded by the mass (M2) of the second weight magazine (4), which second toothed belt furthermore is connected to a pneumatic operating cylinder (26), which is supplied by means of an operating unit (28). The toothed belts are connectable by means of a locking yoke (32), and the operating cylinder is activable depending on control signals from the operating unit (28), which in turn reacts on signals from sensors (50, 54, 58) depending on the position (V1; V2) of the first magazine (2). Through alternatingly coupling together the toothed belts (10; 12) with each other, it is possible to load the first toothed belt (10) with either the mass (M1) or the sum of the masses (M1) and (M2).

Description: Training apparatus The invention relates to a training equipment of the type which is stated in the introduction to the following claim 1. Equipment of this type is known in the prior art from EP-A1-0 655 264 which shows a training device provided with foot plates which are displaceable along a beam against the tractive force of a cable connected to the foot plates, the cable in turn being influenced by a motor which is controlled by means of a control unit. The control unit makes it possible to predetermine the characteristics of the load exerted by the motor. The equipment according to the invention is similarly provided with a device which is controllable in order to determine the characteristics of the load which acts on an operating means, e.g. footplates, handles or levers of various types, attached to the device. In particular, the load on the operating means is adjustable in such a way that the muscle group in question is made to work excentrically. A muscle has namely essentially three different ways of working. It can contract, and thereby for example bend a joint, or it can work statically, i.e. be tensed without either becoming shorter or longer. Finally, the muscle can also work excentrically, i.e. attempt to contract at the same time as it is forced to become longer. A now scientifically grounded fact is that the power which muscles develop is greatest when they work excentrically, next greatest when they work statically and least when they work concentrically. Top sportsmen have with this fact as a foundation pursued excentric fitness training since the middle of the 80's, because it has been accepted that if every muscle is strongest when it works excentrically then the most effective way of training them should also be through excentric framing. In 1991, Per Egil Rettsnes at Norges Toppidrottscentrum in Oslo, started a not yet published scientific comparison of the different methods of fitness training. In 1995, published scientific comparison of the different methods of fitness training. In 1995, the studies showed that excentric fitness training is more effective than conventional concentric fitness training. Concentric fitness training is consequently defined as training with the same load in both the concentric and the excentric phases of a fitness training action. Excentric fitness training is defined as training where the load increases at the transition from the concentric to the excentric phase of a fitness training action. Training equipment according to the prior art for excentric training has in the rule a motor which produces the necessary load on the operating means. The motor can be a rotating motor or a linear motor which, for example, is driven electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically and which is controlled by a control unit which is programmable to increase the load at the transition from the concentric to the excentric phase. Sometimes, for example, direct current motors or hydraulic cylinders are used and for the control of these, the necessary special control units with associated electronic equipment are relatively complicated and costly and, moreover, the electronics are often unreliable and sensitive to disturbances and external influences. Furthermore, this "virtual" equipment lacks real weights, which is a disadvantage as the size and shape of the weights are experienced by many as a psychological indicator of the size of the load. In general, even the rattle of the weights at the end positions is experienced as an acknowledgement of the work performed. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a training equipment of the type mentioned in the introduction which is simpler, cheaper and more reliable than earlier equipment and which furthermore provides a positive experience that the training is being performed in a correct manner. This is achieved with a training equipment of the type mentioned, which has the characteristics stated in the following claim 1. Advantageous developments and improvements as well as an embodiment of the invention are evident from the dependent claims. The embodiment is described more closely in the following only as an example with reference to the accompanying schematic figures. According to the example the equipment is both driven and controlled by means of uncomplicated and reliable pneumatic cylinders and valves of conventional type, the detailed construction of which therefore is not touched upon here. Fig. 1 shows a vertical view of a framing equipment according to the invention with two weight magazines which are connectable together, and Fig. 2 is a view at a magnified scale of a coupling means of the equipment. The training equipment is constructed on a stand (not shown), on which a first weight magazine 2 with the mass Ml and a second weight magazine 4 with the mass M2 in the respective rest position VI, V2, rest in contact each against their own end position stop 6,8. Each magazine is connected to its own line, e.g. a first 10 and a second 12 toothed belt, which run essentially vertically upwards from the respective magazine and which are deflected each by their own pair of pulley- wheels 14,16. From the pulley-wheels the outgoing parts 18 resp. 20 of the two toothed belts run essentially downwards near to each other but without touching each other and are parallel. The toothed belts are mounted in such a way that the teeth on the outgoing parts are facing towards each other. The outgoing part 18 of the first toothed belt is provided in the conventional way with a (not shown) fastener for an (equally not shown) external training equipment, e.g. handles, oars, levers, foot pedals, bars etc. The toothed belts are in the unloaded state influenced by a force F0 and in the loaded state by a muscle force FI which overcomes the mass Ml and consequently is able to lift the magazine 2 from the rest position VI to the work position Al in contact with the upper end position stop 22 attached to the (not shown) stand. If the muscle force diminishes in the direction towards F0 so that it becomes less than the mass Ml, the magazine 2 returns to its rest position VI . The outgoing part 20 of the second toothed belt is attached to a piston rod 24 of a pneumatic operating cylinder 26. The toothed belt in the unloaded condition is only influenced by the mass of the piston rod with attached piston, by the extent that this mass overcomes the actual friction forces. When the cylinder 26 is fed with com- pressed air by means of an operating unit 28, which preferably is a pneumatic unit 28, a force F2 is produced which overcomes the mass M2, which results in that the magazine 4 is lifted from its rest position V2 to its work position A2 in contact with an upper end position stop 30 attached to a (not shown) stand. As long as the cylinder 26 is activated by means of the pneumatic unit 28, the magazine 4 will remain in its work position A2 and return to the rest position V2 only when the cylinder is vented. The outgoing parts 18 resp. 20 of the toothed belts run through a coupling means 32 which is formed as a lock yoke, which is attached to the part 18 of the toothed belt and which is operable by means of a locking cylinder 34 which is provided with a return spring 36. The cylinder acts on a movable cam box 38 on the yoke which, when the cylinder is activated, presses the toothed belts 18 and 20 towards a fixed part 40 of the yoke and into contact with each other and thereby locks the belts mutually via the teeth of the belts facing towards each other. The operating unit or pneumatic unit 28 symbolizes a unit which contains conventional components (not shown), such as a compressed air source, in order to generate and regulate compressed air, for example by means of a compressor with a pressure accumulator comprising an air-treating unit with water separator, mist lubricator and manometer, and regulation and cut-off valves, a main valve for switching on air to the equipment and possible necessary electronics, and a start switch 41. In practice, most of the valves are as a rule situated in connection with their respective cooperating means. Consequently, both the operating cylinder 26 and the cylinder 34 of the locking yoke are both provided with compressed air from the pneumatic unit 28 via an operating pipe 42 resp. a locking yoke pipe 44. The operating pipe is connected to the cylinder via a check valve 46 which is adjustable with the object of controlling the air supply to the cylinder and thereby the working speed of the cylinder, which determines the lifting speed of the second weight magazine. The cylinder has furthermore an adjustable venting valve 48 by means of which the cylinder can be vented with selectable resistance, from rapid venting to extremely slow venting, whereby the falling speed of the second weight magazine consequently is also controllable. A number of sensing means or sensors, for example in the form of breakers, regulator valves, adjustable multipath valves, photocells etc., which can have pneumatic, electric or electronic operating circuits, are connected to the pneumatic unit. A first sensor 50 is situated in connection to the lower end position stop 6 of the first weight magazine 2 and arranged to, via a first signal pipe 52, supply a signal to the pneumatic unit 28 indicating whether the first weight magazine is in its rest position VI or not. A second sensor 54 is situated at a predetermined distance S from the upper end position stop 22 of the first weight magazine 2 and arranged to, via a second signal pipe 56, supply a signal to the pneumatic unit 28 indicating whether the first weight magazine has passed this distance S on its way towards the upper end position stop 22 or not. A third sensor 58 is situated between the second sensor 54 and the upper end position stop 22 in connection thereto, and is arranged to, via a third signal pipe 60, supply a signal indicating whether the first weight magazine is in its working position Al or not. A fourth 62 resp. a fifth 64 sensor, are each arranged in connection with (not shown) protection devices, for example in the form of (likewise not shown) doors arranged in a protective casing for the respective first 2 and second 4 magazines, said doors preventing crushing injuries from occurring during training. These sensors 62;64 are arranged, via associated fourth 66 resp. fifth 68 signal pipes, to each supply a signal to the pneumatic unit 28 indicating whether the respective doors are closed or not. As mentioned earlier, the pneumatic unit comprises known regulating means which, in dependence of the actual signals received via the pipes 52, 56, 60, 66 and 68, control the air supply resp. the venting of the operating cylinder 26 and the locking cylinder 34 in such a way that, for the current training situation, an optimal resistance is obtainable in the outgoing part 18 of the first cable or toothed belt 10. The training equipment is placed in the ready state for training through switching of the start switch 41, which results in the (not shown) compressor producing the necessary over-pressure in the (equally not shown) pressure accumulator. If the sensors 62 and 64 indicate that the (likewise not shown) protective doors to the weight magazines are closed and the sensor 50 indicates that the first weight magazine 2 is in the rest position VI, the operating unit 28 opens the supply pipe 42 to the operating cylinder 26, the piston and piston rod 24 of which are displaced, and, via the second toothed belt 12 and the pair of pulley- wheel 16, the second weight magazine 4 is lifted from the rest position V2 to the working position A2. The magazine remains in the working position as long as the pressure is maintained in the operating cylinder. The equipment is now ready for use. By means of a (not shown) further piece of equipment selected for the actual training occasion, the muscle force FI is applied on the outgoing end 18 of the first toothed belt 10, which results in that the force FI, via this toothed belt and the pair of pulley- wheels 14, lifts the first magazine 2 from the rest position VI to the work- ing position Al . The sensor 50 indicates that the magazine is between the rest position and the working position for the operating unit 28, which locks the supply pipe 42. When the magazine 2 reaches the second sensor 54, this indicates that the magazine is at a distance S from the working position Al. This results in that the operating unit 28 opens the supply pipe 44 to the lock yoke 32, the locking cylinder 34 of which presses together the cam box 38 and the fixed yoke part 40 against the force of the return spring 36. The toothed belts are clamped towards each other between the box and the yoke part so that the teeth grip with each other and mutually lock together the belts. During continued lifting movement the magazine finally reaches the third sensor 58 and impacts against the associated upper end position stop 22. The sensor 58 indicates that the magazine is in its working position Al, whereupon the operating unit 28 opens the venting valve 48 which vents to the atmosphere. Since the toothed belts are mutually locked together, consequently both the mass Ml and the mass M2 act on the outgoing end 18 of the first toothed belt 10 and consequently load the actual muscle group until both of the magazines have reached their respective rest positions VI, V2. The first sensor 50 then indicates again to the operating unit 28 that the first magazine is in the rest position VI, and the operating unit again opens the supply pipe 42 to the operating cylinder 26 which lifts the second magazine to the working position, and a new sequence has begun. Through both the check valve 46 and the venting valve 48 being adjustable, it is possible, by means of the check valve, to control the lifting speed of the second magazine 4. By means of the venting valve, which is adjustable between rapid venting and to different degrees of choking, it is possible to control the falling speed of the magazine 4. Suitable values of the distance S lie within an interval of 15-60 mm, and a preferred value is 45 mm. Each weight magazine contains as a rule a number of weight of conventional type which can be mutually locked together mechanically as required. Automatic magazines with rapid selection available on the market can likewise be connected to the training equipment and facilitates in this case an accurate adjustment to the desired load in the different training phases. It is also possible to produce a further adjustment of the load by arranging suitable gearing of the outgoing part 18 of the cable 10 by means of gearing with one or more extra pulley-wheels. The pneumatic components described in the above example can also, within the scope of the protection for the claims, be replaced by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical components for generation and control of the translational movements.

Claims: Claims 1. Training equipment with a drive means which produces a variable resistance force and which has operating means movable depending on this force, which drive means comprises at least a first (2) and a second (4) weight magazine and a motor (26) and which operating means comprises first lifting means (10) connected to the first magazine for application of a muscle force (FI) by means of which the first magazine (2) is movable between an associated rest position (VI) and an associated working position (Al), and that the second magazine by means of second lifting means (12) is connected to the motor (26), which produces a machine force (F2), by means of which likewise the second magazine (4) is movable between an associated rest position (V2) and an associated working position (A2), characterized in that the magazines (2,4) comprise each a first (10) resp. a second (12) line, that the outgoing parts (18;20) of the lines (10,12) are situated adjacent to each other, and that the magazines (2,4) are mutually connectable together by means of a connecting means (32) through which the parts of the lines run. 2. Training equipment according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lines (10,12), which run from the respective magazines (2,4) via pulleys (14; 16), have mutually essentially parallel outgoing parts (18;20), that the muscle force (FI) is applicable to the outgoing part (18) of the first line (10) and that the motor (26) acts upon the outgoing part of the second line (12). 3. Training equipment according to Claim 2, characterized in that both the coupling means and the motor are controlled from the position of the first magazine (2). 4. Training equipment according to Claims 1-3, characterized in that an operating unit (28) is arranged to activate the coupling means (32) when the magazines (2,4) are situated in their respective working positions (A1,A2) and the motor (26) when the magazines are situated in their respective rest positions (VI, V2). 5. Training equipment according to Claims 1-4, characterized in that the coupling means (32) is manoeuvrable by means of a pneumatic cylinder (34) provided with a return device (36), which is supplied resp. vented by means of an operating unit in the form of a pneumatic unit (28). 6. Training equipment according to Claims 1-5, characterized in that the operating unit (28) has sensors (50,54,58) connected to the same, which are arranged in both the working position (Al) and the rest position (VI) for the first magazine (2), which sensors indicate in which position the magazine is, and that at least one of the sensors (54) is situated at a predetermined distance (S) from the working position (Al) of the first magazine (2). 7. Training equipment according to Claims 1-6, characterized in mat the operating unit (28) has still more sensors (62,64) connected to the same, which are arranged to indicate the state of safety devices surrounding each of the magazines (2,4). 8. Training equipment according to Claims 1-7, characterized in that each line, at least partly, is a toothed belt (10,12). 9. Training equipment according to Claims 1-8, characterized in that the motor is a linear motor (26). 10. Training equipment according to Claim 9, characterized in that the linear motor is a pneumatic cylinder (26), which is supplied resp. vented by means of the pneumatic unit (28) and that the coupling means is a locking yoke (32).

Inventors: SVANBERG JARL, SVANBERG, JARL
Applicants: AGATON FITNESS AB, SVANBERG JARL, SVANBERG, JARL
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A63B21
IPC codes: A63B21