Patent Publication Number: US-7717836-B1

Title: Exercise apparatus with seat stow-away system

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The invention relates to exercise apparatus, and more particularly a seat stow-away system. 
     Exercise apparatus typically includes a support frame including a support base resting on a floor and a support post extending upwardly therefrom and supporting a user seat upon which the user sits during an exercise routine, e.g. weight/resistance training, etc. The present invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward such apparatus, and provides a simple and efficient seat stow-away system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of exercise apparatus in accordance with the invention, including a seat in a user-exercise position. 
         FIG. 2  shows a portion of  FIG. 1 , with the seat in a stow-away position. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  from a different angle. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view from below of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is like  FIG. 5  and shows the seat in a partially collapsed position. 
         FIG. 7  is like  FIG. 6  and shows the seat in a further collapsed position. 
         FIG. 8  is like  FIG. 7  and shows the seat in a fully collapsed stow-away position. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevation view from below of the apparatus of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 14  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 8  in section. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows exercise apparatus  20  having a support frame  22  including a support base  24  resting on a floor  26  and a support post  28  extending upwardly therefrom. A bearing assembly  30  is movable upwardly and downwardly along support post  28  to a plurality of positions including a user-exercise position,  FIG. 1 , and a stow-away position,  FIG. 2 . The stow-away position of bearing assembly  30  is spaced above the user-exercise position of the bearing assembly. A seat frame  32  has a user seat  34  thereon and extends between a root end  36  and a free end  38 . Root end  36  is pivotally mounted to bearing assembly  30  at axle bolt  31  and moves upwardly and downwardly therewith along support post  28  including between the noted user-exercise position and the noted stow-away position. A connector link  40  has a first end  42  pivotally connected at bolt  43  to support frame  22  at a location below bearing assembly  30 , and has a second end  44  pivotally connected at bolt  45  to seat frame  32  at a location between root end  36  and free end  38 . 
     A user-engaged locking device  46 ,  FIG. 1 , releasably locks bearing assembly  30  at each of the noted user-exercise position and stow-away position and prevents upward and downward movement of bearing assembly  30  along support post  28 . Bearing assembly  30  moves upwardly as shown at arrow  48  in  FIGS. 6-8  along support post  28  from the user-exercise position of  FIG. 5  to the stow-away position of  FIG. 8  when free end  38  of seat frame  32  is swung downwardly in an arc  50  about root end  36 . In the stow-away position,  FIGS. 2 ,  8 , seat frame  32  extends along support post  28  and generally parallel thereto. 
     User-engaged locking device  46  releasably locks bearing assembly  30  to root end  36  of seat frame  32  to prevent pivoting of root end  36  about bearing assembly  30  to prevent a change in angle between seat frame  32  and support post  28 . Connector link  40  triangulates between support post  28  and seat frame  32  to form a triangle therewith. The angle between seat frame  32  and support post  28  is an included angle in the noted triangle such that the prevention of a change in such included angle prevents upward and downward movement of bearing assembly  30  along support post  28 . First end  42  of connector link  40  is pivotally mounted to support post  28 , preferably at a reinforced subpost  52 ,  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , adjacent support base  24 . Support post  28  may include lower bosses  54 ,  56 ,  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , extending laterally from laterally opposite sides thereof for providing a lower stop against downward movement of cage  58  of bearing assembly  30  and/or to provide additional support for the bearing assembly and seat frame in the noted user-exercise position,  FIGS. 1 ,  3 - 5 . Support post  28  may also have upper bosses such as  60  extending laterally therefrom to stop upward movement of cage  58  of bearing assembly  30  if desired. If vertical height constraints are such that seat frame  32  is not fully collapsed,  FIG. 7 , when bearing assembly cage  58  is stopped against stop  60 , or if it is desired to otherwise limit the vertical travel of bearing assembly cage  58 , then seat frame  32  is provided with a lost motion slot  62  in which the noted second end  44  of connector link is pivotally mounted and along which end  44  at axle bolt  45  may translationally slide to the position of  FIG. 8  while bearing assembly cage  58  is stopped against stop  60 , to enable full collapse of seat frame  32  to the position of  FIG. 8 . 
     Support post  28  has a front side  64 ,  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , facing forwardly toward user seat  34 , and a distally opposite rear side  66  facing rearwardly. Bearing assembly  30  includes the noted cage  58  which is a U-shaped member opening forwardly and having a first bearing  68 ,  FIGS. 3-5 ,  11 ,  14 , engaging front side  64  of support post  28 , and second and third bearings  70  and  72  engaging rear side  66  of support post  28 . Each of the bearings is preferably a roller journaled on a respective bolt  69 ,  71 ,  73 , and rolling along the respective side of the support post during upward and downward movement of bearing assembly  30 . 
     First and second handles  74  and  76 ,  FIGS. 1-5 , are provided at free end  38  of seat frame  32 . First handle  74  is fixedly mounted to and is stationary relative to seat frame  32  and is user-engageable to swing free end  38  of the seat frame downwardly along arc  50 , moving bearing assembly  30  from the user-exercise position of  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , to the stow-away position of  FIGS. 2 ,  8 . Second handle  76  is part of the user-engaged locking device  46  and is movable relative to seat frame  32  and is operatively coupled, preferably by one or more cables  78 ,  80 ,  FIGS. 4 ,  9 ,  11 - 14 , to one or more movable locking pins such as  82  and  84 , respectively, to move a respective pin between locking and unlocking positions respectively preventing and permitting movement of seat frame  32  along arc  50  and movement of bearing assembly  30  along support post  28  between the noted user-exercise and stow-away positions,  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively. In the locking position, the respective locking pin extends between and engages each of seat frame  32  and bearing assembly  30 . In the preferred embodiment, the respective locking pin in the locking position extends through aligned apertures  86  and  88 ,  FIG. 13 , in cage  58  of bearing assembly  30  and root end  36  of seat frame  32 .  FIG. 13  shows locking pins  82  and  84  in their unlocking positions. Second handle  76  is movable toward first handle  74  as shown at arrow  90  in  FIG. 12 , to pull cables  78  and  80  to in turn pull respective locking pins  82  and  84  inwardly as shown at respective arrows  92  and  94  in  FIG. 13 , to in turn retract pins  82  and  84  out of respective apertures  86  and  94 , to in turn release seat frame  32  and bearing assembly  30  for pivotal movement relative to each other about pivot axle bolt  31 . Handle  76  is sufficiently proximate to handle  74  to enable gripping of both handles with a single hand  75 ,  FIG. 12 , of the user, to enable release of seat frame  32  for movement to the stow-away position,  FIGS. 2 ,  8 , by the user gripping both handles  74  and  76  in a single hand and pulling second handle  76  towards first handle  74 , and then swinging free end  38  of the seat frame downwardly along arc  50 ,  FIGS. 6-8 . Locking pins  82 ,  84  are preferably biased, e.g. by a respective spring such as  98 ,  FIG. 13 , to a locking position extending into respective apertures  86  and  88 , such that upon release of handle  76  the locking device defaults to a normally locked position. 
     The exercise apparatus includes a back rest  102  on a frame  104  pivotally mounted to support post  28  at pivot rod  106  and adjustable at slot  108  between a plurality of arcuate positions as determined by apertures  110  receiving a retractable pin  112  of spring biased pull pin assembly  114 . An additional back rest roll pad may be provided if desired at  103 . 
     The system provides a method for stowing exercise apparatus  20  having a support frame  22  including a support base  24  resting on a floor  26  and a support post  28  extending upwardly therefrom, and a bearing assembly  30  movable upwardly and downwardly along support post  28  to a plurality of positions including a user-exercise position,  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , and a stow-away position,  FIGS. 2 ,  8 . The stow-away position of bearing assembly  30  is spaced above the user-exercise position of the bearing assembly. A seat frame  32  has a user seat  34  thereon and extends between a root end  36  and a free end  38 , with the root end being pivotally mounted at pivot axle  31  to bearing assembly  30  and movable therewith upwardly and downwardly along support post  28  between the user-exercise position and the stow-away position. Connector link  40  has the noted first end  42  pivotally connected to the support frame at a location below bearing assembly  30 , and has the noted second end  44  pivotally connected to seat frame  32  at a location between root end  36  and free end  38 . User-engaged locking device  46  releasably locks bearing assembly  30  at each of the user-exercise position and the stow-away position and prevents upward and downward movement of bearing assembly along support post  28 . The method involves simply releasing the bearing assembly with the user-engaged locking device, and moving the bearing assembly from the user-exercise position to the stow-away position. The method is preferably accomplished by swinging free end  38  of seat frame  32  downwardly in an arc  50 , to in turn cause movement of bearing assembly  30  from the user-exercise position to the stow-away position. The method further preferably involves releasing the seat frame for movement to the stow-away position by gripping both handles  74  and  76  in a single hand  75  and pulling second handle  76  toward first handle  74 . 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations, systems, and method steps described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations, systems and method steps. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, in one alternative a user-engaged locking device may releasably lock bearing assembly  30  to support post  28  to prevent the noted upward and downward movement of the bearing assembly along the support post, for example a biased locking pin assembly as shown in dashed line at  116  in  FIG. 3  mounted on cage  58  of bearing assembly  30  and having a pin  118  insertable into an aperture  120  in support post  28  to lock the bearing assembly in its lower position corresponding to the user-exercise position of  FIGS. 1 ,  5 , and insertable into aperture  122  in support post  28  to lock the bearing assembly in its upper position corresponding to the seat stow-away position of  FIGS. 2 ,  8 .