Patent Publication Number: US-8968167-B1

Title: Resistance system for an exercise device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     Priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/429,910, filed on Jan. 5, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to exercise devices and, more particularly, to resistance systems used in exercise devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A critical component of exercise devices used to increase the strength of the user, may be devices used to provide a variation in resistance. As some individuals are stronger than others, it may be useful to be able to vary the resistance from user to user, or of the same user over time to adapt to increases in strength. To develop strength, the muscle may be forced to move under tension. This tension may be provided by weights or hydraulics. Low inertia systems may also be used. These may include springs or other elastic components, or compressed air as forms of resistance. One advantage to low inertia systems, is high-speed work may be done without the interference provided by high mass of the resistance. 
     Regardless of the type of resistance used, the ability to change resistance may be considered a critical element to successful strength training. As a user becomes stronger, that user will desire a greater resistance. In addition, no two users are exactly the same in their strength potentials. Therefore, it may be desirable to have a system which allows for a great deal of variability in the resistance. It may also be desirable to be able to change the resistance easily. For some people changing heavy weight plates may be difficult or even impossible depending upon that person&#39;s strength. Particularly in any rehabilitation setting, it may be desirable to be able to change resistance with minimal effort. A system that includes rotating one or more knobs may require much less physical exertion to change the resistance as compared to lifting heavy weights to add or remove from a bar or other apparatus. If a user has limited physical ability and cannot change the resistance easily, that may preclude them from using the exercise device altogether. No exercise device is of any value if it is not used. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a resistance system for exercise which may include a frame, at least two resistance elements which are operationally unique from one another and an engagement lock with a main shaft pivotally mounted to the frame and at least two pins positioned substantially radially equidistant from the main shaft. The pin of the at least two pins, may be selectively engaged with one of the resistance elements of the at least two resistance elements without engaging the second resistance element. Thereby, each resistance element is unique in that engaging one resistance element does not result in the engagement of another resistance element by its position or orientation. The device may also include a user interface adapted to enable a user to apply a force thereto, the user interface may be in communication with one or more of the at least two resistance elements, whereby any of at least two resistance elements may be engaged by any of the at least two pins. The engaged resistance element may provide resistance to movement of the user interface relative to the frame. This user interface may be a handle with a cable attached, a bar with cables attached or an arm, freely or pivotally mounted to the frame. 
     The at least two resistance elements may be comprised of elastic cords coupled to a carriage and supported to allow for movement relative to the frame. The carriage may include a plate guide adapted to support any resistance elements not engaged by any of the at least two pins. The device may also include a drive cam coupled to a carriage, the carriage supporting the at least two resistance elements. The drive cam may be pivotally coupled to the frame and provide a variable moment arm to the carriage as the cam rotates relative to the frame. 
     The frame may include a base frame with pulley mounts and a platform adapted to support a user. A rotational pulley may also be mounted to the frame. The axis of rotation of the rotational pulley mount may be substantially collinear with the axis of a cable guided by a pulley mounted in the rotational pulley mount. In addition, the device may include two engagement locks, each with a main shaft pivotally mounted to the frame and at least two pins positioned substantially radially equidistant from the main shaft. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages can be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. 
     All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments and drawings, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric right side view of a resistance system in an exercise device incorporating a selection system in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric left side view of the device of  FIG. 1  showing a cable attachment variation in more detail. 
         FIG. 3  is front view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an upper left view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a detail view of the upper portion of the device of  FIG. 4  cut along line  5 - 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a left rear isometric view of the device of  FIG. 1  with a portion of the frame removed. 
         FIG. 7  is a detail view of the exercise device of  FIG. 6  shown along line  7 - 7 . 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the exercise device of  FIG. 6  shown with the frame removed. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the upper portion of the resistance system of  FIG. 8  with one group of cords engaged and a second ground disengaged and the carriage somewhat displaced. 
         FIG. 10  is an isometric view of the resistance system of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric view of the rotational pulley on the left side of the lower frame of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the illustrative drawings, and particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown an exercise device  12  with a resistance system  14 . The device  12  may include an upper frame  16  and a base frame  18  supporting the resistance system  14  therein. The device  12  may include a user interface  20 . As is shown here, the user interface  20  may be a handle  22  with a cable  24  attached thereto. Pulley mounts  26  may be mounted to the base frame  18 , or to the upper frame  16 .  FIG. 1  shows the device  12  from a right perspective where the left handle  22  is coupled to the base frame  18  and the right handle  22  is coupled to the upper frame  16 . The right handle  22  may be more clearly seen in  FIG. 2 , as this is shown from the left perspective. The base frame  18  may also include a platform  28  suitable for supporting a user. In this manner, a user may stand on the platform  28 , grasp one or more of the handles  22  and displace the handle  22  from its resting position, thus actuating the resistance system. The resistance system will be shown and described in greater detail further in this disclosure. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the device  12  can be more clearly seen from the front view showing the resistance system  14 . The resistance system  14  may include two or more resistance elements  30 . The resistance elements  30  may be comprised of an elastic cord, a spring, pneumatics, other form of elastic resistance or hydraulics, etc. Weight plates, or other gravity based resistance, may also be used but are not shown in this embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the resistance elements  30  may be attached to the carriage  32 , which is guided on the upper frame  16 . The engagement or disengagement of specific resistance elements  30  may be altered by adjusting an engagement lock  34 . In this embodiment there are two engagement locks  34 , which are shown in more detail in the following figures. 
     In  FIG. 4 , a detail of the device  12  is shown with some of the housings removed to show more specific elements of the invention.  FIG. 5  is a detail of the upper portion of the device  12  shown along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . In this view, the left engagement lock  34  is a different size and has a different number of pins compared to the right engagement lock  34 . Each engagement lock  34  includes a main shaft  36  which is pivotally mounted to a support  38 . The support  38  may be mounted to the upper frame  16 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the engagement lock  34  may include the knob  40  coupled to a first end of the main shaft  36  and a pin plate  41  coupled to a second end of the main shaft  36 , as such, the pin plate  41  may thereby couple the main shaft  36  to the pins  42 . This may allow the knob  40  which may be pulled out by the user, thereby disengaging the pins  42  from the back plate  44 . When the pins  42  are disengaged from the back plate  44 , the pins  42  are likewise disengaged from the resistance elements  30 . In this view, the engagement lock  34  on the right is shown to be disengaged from the back plate  44  and the engagement lock  34  on the left is engaged with the back plate  44 . A spring  46  may be used to bias the engagement locks  34  toward the back plate  44 , thereby placing each engagement lock  34  in an engaged position when not being actuated by a user. 
     For detail of the engagement and disengagement of the engagement locks  34  may be seen in  FIGS. 6 through 8 . Detail shown in  FIG. 7  is shown along the cut line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . Here is shown an example of how the pins  42  may engage the resistance elements  30 . The resistance elements  30  may be connected to a cord plate  48 . A cord plate  48  may support a single resistance element  30 , a pair of two resistance elements  30 , or multiple resistance elements  30 . As is shown here, some cord plates  48  support four resistance elements  30  and some cord plates  48  support two resistance elements  30 . A cord plate  48  may also be of a weighted element to act as its own gravity based resistance element, instead of being connected to the resistance elements  30 . Each cord plate  48  includes a hole  50  adapted to receive the pin  42 . When the pin  42  is received by the hole  50  in the cord plate  48 , that cord plate  48  is supported relative to the upper frame  16 , due to the engagement lock  34  which may be supported relative to the upper frame  16  as previously disclosed. The carriage  32  may be actuated away from any cord plates  48 , which may be engaged to engagement lock  34 . In an alternative embodiment, the carriage  32  and engagement locks  34  may be mounted 180 degrees clockwise. In this embodiment, the drive chain  54  would attach to the engagement locks  34  and the other end of the carriage  32  would be stationary. As the drive chain  54  is actuated, the engagement locks  34  would also move. 
       FIG. 8  shows a front view of the device  12  with the upper frame  16  removed. In this view the actuation of the carriage  32  may be illustrated. A drive cam  52  providing a variable moment arm to the carriage  32  as the drive cam  52  rotates relative to the frame may be coupled to the carriage  32  by the drive chain  54 . The purpose of the variable moment arm of the drive cam  52  may be used to offset or change the linear increase in tension provided by an elastic element, which may comprise the resistance elements  30 . The drive cam  52  may be secured to a drive wheel  56  which supports a drive cable  58 . As the drive cable  58  is actuated in the direction of the arrow  60 , the drive cable  58  unrolls from the drive wheel  56 . The drive cam  52  rotates to take up links of the drive chain  54 , thus displacing the carriage  32  toward the drive wheel  56 . Any resistance elements  30  which are engaged to an engagement lock  34  will deform as the carriage  32  pulls away from those engagement locks  34 . The deformation, of each resistance element  30 , which is engaged with its relative engagement lock  34 , provides a resistance to movement and generates tension in the drive cable  58 . As is shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , the drive cable  58  is connected to a pulley block  62 . The pulley block  62  allows for increased travel of the cable  24 . In this embodiment of the invention, two idler pulleys  64  are housed within the pulley block  62 . A stationary pulley  65  is mounted to the frame  16  (not shown here) also supports the continuous cable  24 . Though not considered necessary to the novelty of the invention, this arrangement of the two floating idler pulleys  64  and one stationary pulley  65  provides a 4:1 displacement of the cable  24  relative to the movement of the pulley block  62  and therefore the drive cable  58 . This is one of an infinite number of configurations of pulleys and wraps for the cable  24  that may be used to provide the desired travel and tension of the cable  24  for the user. It is understood there an infinite number of combinations that may be used that are inherently covered in the scope of this invention. 
     When the carriage  32  is displaced by providing sufficient tension in the drive cable  58  to overcome the resistance provided by the resistance elements  30 , which are engaged with at least one of the engagement locks  34 , the pulley block  62  will also be displaced from its starting position. What is shown in  FIGS. 9-10  is an example of the left engagement lock  34  being engaged with all three of their respective cord plates  48  and therefore the resistance elements  30  attached to those cord plates  48 . The two cord plates  48  on the right are disengaged from the engagement lock on the right, therefore the resistance elements  30  associated with the cord plates  48  on the right move with the carriage  32  as it is displaced. As such, the resistance elements  30  on the right do not deform and therefore do not add tension to the drive cable  58 . In this example the engagement lock  34  on the left has engaged all three cord plates  48 . If that engagement lock  34  was rotated 60° clockwise, only the left most two cord plates  48  would be engaged with the engagement lock  34 . In a similar manner, if the left engagement lock  34  was rotated 120° clockwise, only the left most cord plate  48  would be engaged. The same is true for each 60° rotation of the left engagement lock  34  to engage any, all or none of the three left cord plates  48  when the carriage is in its top and resting position. 
     The right engagement lock  34  was rotated 180° such that the pins  42  do not engage the holes  50  in the cord plates  48  on the right when the carriage  32  was in its resting position. As with the engagement lock  34  on the left, the engagement lock  34  on the right may be rotated by 90° increments to engage either or both of their respective cord plates  48 . In both engagement locks  34 , the selective engagement of one, some, all or none of the respective cord plates  48  may be accomplished by providing the pins  42  be substantially radially equidistant from the main shaft  36 . This substantially radial orientation may allow a pin  42  to index with any hole  50  in any of the cord plates  48  that are accessible by that engagement lock  34 . The cord plates  48  which are not engaged into their respective engagement locks  34 , may be supported by a plate guide  67 . The plate guide  67  may provide guided support for the cord plates  48  disengaged from the engagement locks  34 , thereby providing proper positioning relative to the engagement locks  34  when the carriage  32  returns to its top position. 
     A counterbalance  66  may be used to maintain continuous attachment to the carriage  32  and the upper frame  16 . The counterbalance  66  may be a resistance element  30  similar to the others used in the system, or it may be comprised of a weight or other spring or any other system to bias the carriage  32  in its top and therefore resting position. This counterbalance  66  insures the weight of the carriage  32  does not prevent it from always recoiling to its top resting position, regardless if any of the engagement locks  34  are engaged with any of their respective cord plates  48  or not. 
     In  FIG. 11  a cropped view of the device  12  shown from a rear left perspective. Here illustrates the cable  24  as it may pass through a rotational pulley mount  68 . The rotational pulley mount  68  may include a mounting bracket  70 , which may be releasably fastened to the upper frame  16 . The mounting bracket  70  may also include a mounting cylinder  72  that is adapted to receive a pulley cylinder  74 . The cable  24  may pass through the mounting cylinder  72  and the pulley cylinder  74  and be received by a cable pulley  76 . The pulley cylinder  74  may be allowed to rotate about the mounting cylinder  72 , thereby creating a center of rotation of the axes of the pulley cylinder  74  and the mounting cylinder  72 . The axes of the cable  24  may be collinear with axes of the pulley cylinder  74  in the mounting cylinder  72 , thereby the rotational pulley mount  68  may be collinear with the axis of the cable  24 . The rotational pulley mount  68  may allow the handle  22  or any other user interface  20  to self align about the axis of the cable  24  regardless of the position of the handle  22  or other user interface  20 . 
     The foregoing detailed description of the present invention is provided for purposes of illustration, and it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiment shown. The embodiments may provide different capabilities and benefits, depending on the configuration used to implement key features of the invention.