Patent Publication Number: US-9839810-B1

Title: Fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with manual emergency brake

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fitness machine, in particular to the fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, a conventional fitness bike (also known as flywheel bike) has the similar function of riding a bicycle and allows a user to perform fitness or special physical training indoors. A general fitness bike comes with a bike frame, a seat, a handlebar, pedals, a transmission system, a flywheel, a brake device, etc and lets the user sit on the seat, so that the user&#39;s legs can apply forces onto the pedals alternatively, and then uses the transmission system to drive the flywheel to rotate. Since the flywheel has specific inertia, therefore the user must apply a specific pedaling force to achieve the exercise, workout, and training results. To increase the resistance of the user in pedaling for a high intensive exercise, the conventional fitness bike is equipped with a damping device which is usually a mechanical structure such as the ones disclosed in P.R.C. Pat. Publication Nos. CN202263342U and CN201064638Y. Since the mechanical damping device has a complicated structure, and the damping cannot be adjusted accurately in the continuously variable manner (the numerical value of the damping is not shown), therefore some of the conventional fitness bikes adopt an electromagnetic damping device such as the one disclosed in P.R.C. Pat. Publication No. CN205549351U and provided for adjusting the damping of the fitness bike through electromagnetism. However, the conventional fitness bike equipped with the electromagnetic damping device requires an external electric power supply, and the damping is adjusted in stages, and such conventional fitness bike usually fails to comply with the users&#39; requirements. In addition, the brake device of the conventional fitness bike cannot be braked by a mode with gradual change or used for producing the damping force. Obviously, the conventional fitness bikes required further improvements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake to achieve the effects of supplying electric power by self power generation, providing a continuously variable controlled damping force of the fitness bike, and integrating a manual emergency brake and a multifunctional brake into the fitness bike. 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake, to use a power generating device to generate and supply electric power to a console, to magnetically control the damping device, and to combine a resistance and brake control device, so that the resistance and brake control device can transmit a signal to the console to control and the magnetically controlled damping device, so as to produce the damping force by the flywheel of the fitness bike. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake, and the fitness machine has a resistance and brake control device with an electrically controlled brake and combines with the related mode of a manual emergency brake for users&#39; option, and the function of the electrically controlled brake may be used for controlling the brake of the fitness bike in a damping force. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake, and the function of the electrically controlled brake of the resistance and brake control device can be achieved by applying an encoder with photo-interrupter and a Hall-effect sensor with magnet. 
     To achieve the aforementioned and other objectives, the present invention provides a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake, preferably comprising: a fitness bike, a console, a magnetically controlled damping device and a resistance and brake control device, wherein the fitness bike has a bike body, a flywheel installed to the bike body and pedaled to rotate, a brake device disposed adjacent to the flywheel, a control unit combined into the bike body, a power generating device installed in the flywheel for generating electric power by a rotating moment and supplying the electric power to the control unit; wherein the console is installed to the fitness bike and electrically coupled to the control unit and provided for a user&#39;s operation; wherein the magnetically controlled damping device is combined to the bike body of the flywheel, and the magnetically controlled damping device has a yoke, and an electromagnetic coil wound around the yoke, and the yoke has two magnetic poles extended to both sides of the flywheel respectively, and the electromagnetic coil is electrically coupled to the console and the control unit, and the console provides a control signal to the control unit for controlling the magnetically controlled damping device to generate a magnetic damping force to the flywheel; wherein the resistance and brake control device includes a hand lever, a moving block combined to a lever body of the hand lever, a rotating member combined to a working end of the hand lever, a sensing unit installed to the moving block and configured to be corresponsive to the rotating member, and a brake push rod or a brake cable combined to the hand lever or the moving block; wherein the hand lever is turned while the rotating member is being rotated, and the sensing unit senses the angle of rotation of the rotating member to generate and feed back a signal to the control unit and provided for the control unit to control the magnetically controlled damping device to produce a magnetic damping force to the flywheel; and wherein the hand lever is provided for being pressed or pushed to drive the brake push rod, and the brake push rod is provided for pushing the brake device of the fitness bike. 
     In the fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake, the brake push rod may be substituted by a brake cable connected to the brake device connected to a farther end of the fitness bike. 
     The fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake of the present invention has the following effects: 
     (1) The power generating device generates the electric power required by the console and the magnetically controlled damping device without requiring an additional external electric power to achieve the function of adjusting the damping. 
     (2) The damping of the magnetically controlled damping device produced by applying the flywheel can be adjusted in a continuously variable manner to meet the requirements of individual users. 
     (3) The resistance and brake control device is a multifunctional brake device integrating two different modes including the electrically controlled brake and the manual emergency brake and provided as options for user requirement. 
     (4) The mode of the electrically controlled brake of the resistance and brake control device can be used for generating a signal to the console to control the magnetically controlled damping device to produce a continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping or braking force to the flywheel of the fitness bike. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention applied to a fitness machine; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention applied to a fitness machine; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention with a continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an encoder with photo-interrupter of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of manually pressing a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a Hall-effect sensor with magnet of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an encoder with photo-interrupter of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a Hall-effect sensor with magnet of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic view of a using status of a resistance and brake control device in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become obvious from the following detailed description accompanied by the drawings. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3  for a fitness machine with continuously variable magnetic-controlled damping force and combined with a manual emergency brake in accordance with this present invention, the fitness machine is a kind of fitness bike (flywheel bike) capable of controlling the damping force of the flywheel in a continuously variable manner and combined with a manual emergency brake. In an embodiment, the invention comprises a fitness bike  1 , a console  2 , a magnetic-controlled damping device  3  and a resistance and brake control device  4 . 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the fitness bike  1  has a bike body  11 , a flywheel  12  installed to the bike body  11  and provided for a user to pedal to rotate the flywheel  12 , a brake device  13  installed adjacent to the flywheel  12 , a control unit  5  combined into the bike body  11 , a power generating device  6  installed in the flywheel  12  for generating electric power by a rotating moment and supplying the electric power to the control unit  5 ; wherein the bike body  11  has a bike frame  111 , a seat  112 , a handlebar  113  and a pedal system  114 , and the flywheel  12  is installed at the front fork  115  of the bike frame  111  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), or installed at the rear fork of the bike frame  111  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ); the brake device  13  may have a bracket  131  fixed to the bike frame  111 , and a brake pad  132  combined to the bracket  131  and installed adjacent to the circumference or any side of the flywheel  12 , and the brake pad  132  is provided for touching the flywheel  12  to produce a braking force; the control unit  5  may be installed in the bike frame  111  for controlling the power generating device  6 , the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  and the resistance and brake control device  4 , and the control unit  5  may also have a rechargeable battery (not shown in the figure) for storing electric power to supply all electric power required by the fitness bike  1 ; the power generating device  6  is a prior art and the flywheel  12  may have a rotor, a stator, etc (not shown in the figure) installed therein, and the rotor has a plurality of permanent magnets, and the stator has a plurality of coils. The power generating device  6  and the stator provide the power generation function through the rotation of the flywheel  12  and the rotor, so as to supply the required electric power of the fitness bike  1 . 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the console  2  is installed at the front of the handlebar  113  of the fitness bike  1  and electrically coupled to the control unit  5 , the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  and the resistance and brake control device  4 . The control unit  5  controls the power supply to the console  2 , so that the console  2  is provided for a user to operate and control different functions of the fitness bike  1  or view information such as the workout/training status of the fitness machine. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  is combined to the flywheel  12  at the top or the bike body  11  on a side. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  has a yoke  31 , and an electromagnetic coil  32  wound around the yoke  31 ; the yoke  31  is substantially in C-shaped, such that the yoke  31  has two magnetic poles  311  formed thereon and disposed adjacent to both sides of the flywheel  12  respectively; the electromagnetic coil  32  is wound to the middle of the yoke  31  and electrically coupled to the control unit  5 , so that a user may use the console  2  and the control unit  5  to control the magnetic damping force of the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  to produce damping force to the flywheel  12 . Specifically, a current is passed through the electromagnetic coil  32 , so that the two magnetic poles  311  of the yoke  31  produce an electromagnetic field to achieve the magnetic damping result, so that the electromagnetic field produces a rotating resistance to the flywheel  12  to control the pedaling resistance of the fitness bike  1 . In addition, when the electromagnetic field is controlled and adjusted to a specific numerical value, the electromagnetic field may also be used to make the flywheel  12  near to a substantially stop status. Now, a manual emergency bake is combined to achieve the function of braking and stopping the fitness bike completely. 
     In  FIGS. 4 to 7 , the resistance and brake control device  4  is a multifunctional brake device integrating two different modes including the electric-controlled brake and the manual emergency brake. In the first preferred embodiment, the resistance and brake control device  4  may be used to push the brake device  13  to provide the function of the manual emergency brake in addition to the function of the electric-controlled brake. Specifically, the resistance and brake control device  4  of the first preferred embodiment includes a housing  41 , a hand lever  42 , a moving block  43  combined to a lever body of the hand lever  42 , a rotating member  44  combined to a working end  421  of the hand lever  42 , a sensing unit  45  installed to the moving block  43  and configured to be corresponding to the rotating member  44 , and a brake push rod  46  combined to the hand lever  42  or the moving block  43 . 
     In an embodiment, the housing  41  has a cylindrical casing  411 , and two covers  412  for sealing both upper and lower ends of the cylindrical casing  411 , and the hand lever  42  has a rod  422  and a hand knob  423 , wherein an end of the rod  422  is the working end  421  extended from the upper cover  412  into the housing  41 , and the hand knob  423  is combined to the other end of the rod  422  and disposed at the top outside the housing  41 . The moving block  43  may be a rectangular frame slidably installed in the housing  41  and rotatably combined with the rod  422  of the hand lever  42 , so that the hand lever  42  can be rotated by itself and used for pressing or pushing the moving block  43 . The brake push rod  46  has an end passing through the lower cover  412  to enter into the housing  41  and combined with the moving block  43  and the other end extended to the pushing end  461  outside the housing  41 , and the pushing end  461  is provided for pushing the brake device  13  of the fitness bike  1 , and the lever body of the brake push rod  46  has an elastic member  47  provided for pushing the brake push rod  46 , the moving block  43  and the hand lever  42  to resume their original positions. 
     When the resistance and brake control device  4  of the first embodiment of the present invention is used as shown in  FIG. 5 or 7 , the function of the continuously variable electric-controlled brake may be provided for user operation. A user turns the hand knob  423  of the hand lever  42 , so that the rotating member  44  is rotated while the hand lever  42  is being turned. When the rotating member  44  is rotated, the sensing unit  45  senses the angle of rotation of the rotating member  44  to generate and feed back a signal to the console  2  or the control unit  5 , so that the console  2  or the control unit  5  can control the magnetic damping or braking force to the flywheel  12  by the magnetic-controlled damping device  3 . In  FIG. 5 , the resistance and brake control device  4  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention also provides the emergency braking function manually operated by the user, and the user presses the hand knob  423  of the hand lever  42  to push the moving block  43  and the brake push rod  46 , so that the pushing end  461  of the brake push rod  46  pushes the bracket  131  of the brake device  13  of the fitness bike  1  and the brake pad  132  touches the flywheel  12  to achieve the manual emergency braking function mechanically. 
     In the resistance and brake control device  4  of the first embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the rotating member  44  is physically an encoding disk  441  combined to the working end  421  of the hand lever  42 , and the sensing unit  45  is an encoder  451  for reading the angle of rotation of the encoding disk  441 . According to the angle rotated by the user, the encoder  451  feeds back a signal to the console  2  or the control unit  5 , so that the magnetic-controlled damping device  3  controls the magnetic damping force with gradual change in a continuously variable manner or produces the braking force. In  FIG. 7 , the rotating member  44  may be substituted by a magnet  442 , and the sensing unit  45  is a sensing chip  452  for sensing the angle of rotation of the magnet  442 . Similarly, according to the angle of turning the hand lever  42  and the magnet  442  by the user, the sensing chip  452  senses and feeds back a signal to the console  2  to achieve the same electric-controlled function. In addition, the encoder  451  or the sensing chip  452  of the sensing unit  45  may be combined to a printed circuit board  453 , and the signal is fed back to the console  2  through the printed circuit board  453  and a signal line  454  electrically coupled to the console  2 , or via a wireless transmission. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 8 to 11  for the resistance and brake control device  4 ′ in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the resistance and brake control device  4 ′ also has the function of the electric-controlled brake, but the structure of the manual emergency brake and the brake push rod  46  are different from those of the first embodiment. Specifically, the resistance and brake control device  4 ′ also includes a housing  41 ′, a hand lever  42 ′, a moving block  43 ′ combined to a lever body of the hand lever  42 ′, a rotating member  44 ′ combined to a working end  421 ′ of the hand lever  42 ′, a sensing unit  45 ′ installed onto the moving block  43 ′ and configured to be corresponding to the rotating member  44 ′, and a brake cable  48 ′ coupled to the hand lever  42 ′ or the moving block  43 ′. Wherein, the housing  41 ′ is a structure formed by connecting two plates  413 ′ by a plurality of fixing members (not shown in the figure), and the hand lever  42 ′, the moving block  43 ′, the rotating member  44 ′ and the sensing unit  45 ′ have the structures as those of the first preferred embodiment except that a rod  422 ′ of the hand lever  42 ′ has an elastic member  424 ′ provided for pushing the moving block  43 ′ and the hand lever  42 ′ to their original positions. Particularly, the brake cable  48 ′ is different from the brake push rod  46  and has an end coupled to the moving block  43 ′ and the other end extended outside the housing  41 ′ and connected to the brake device  13  of the fitness bike  1 , or used for connecting the brake device  13  of a rear-flywheel fitness bike  1 ″ (as shown in  FIG. 11 ), so that when the hand lever  42 ′ and the moving block  43 ′ are pressed, the brake cable  48 ′ drives the brake device  13 , or the brake device  13 ′ of the rear flywheel at a farther end. As a result, the resistance and brake control device  4 ′ may be installed to an appropriate position more freely to fit various different models of the fitness bikes. In addition, the rotating member  44 ′ and the sensing unit  45 ′ of the second preferred embodiment are the same as those of the first preferred embodiment and may be an encoding disk  441 ′ and an encoder  451 ′ of the compatible models (as shown in  FIG. 9 ), or a magnet  442 ′ and a sensing chip  452 ′ of the compatible models (as shown in  FIG. 10 ) to achieve the same function as described above. 
     While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.