US20120035024A1

US20120035024A1 - Portable exercise machine

Info

Publication number: US20120035024A1
Application number: US12/851,948
Authority: US
Inventors: Shawn C. Price
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-06
Filing date: 2010-08-06
Publication date: 2012-02-09

Abstract

A portable exercise machine including a substantially flat floor base that can be disassembled from other components, an actuator bar preferably having a centered pin as part of a spooling and anchoring handle; an upright member that may have an integral support and upright arm having pulleys preferably enclosed in the upright arm; a rocker arm that can be removably pivotably connected, such as by a pin, to the support of the upright member; and a cable attached the actuator bar, passing over the enclosed pulleys and attached to the rocker arm. The integral support may include a mounting recess as an integrated stand to removably secure the actuator bar when not in use. The upright member may include an integral sleeve that attaches to a tube that removably attaches to the floor base.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to a portable exercise machine. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a multi-function exercise machine that is compact, lightweight, and easy to assemble.

BACKGROUND

The inventor previously developed portable exercise equipment that is capable of enabling a large number of exercises to be performed without requiring either numerous attachments or extensive rearrangement of the parts of such apparatus. Such exercise equipment is lightweight, portable, easily assembled and disassembled, and capable of enabling the user to perform various exercises without significant modification or rearrangement of component of the apparatus. With such exercise equipment, the user may perform exercises that require the imposition of resistance in upward, downward, or substantially horizontal directions. The user may perform exercises requiring both positive and negative resistances wherein a selected resistance may remain substantially constant over the full range of a selected exercise.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,004,248 and 6,224,514 disclose an exercise apparatus having a base to which is pivoted one end of a rockable arm, the opposite end of which is coupled to one end of a force transmitting line by means of which the arm may be rocked from and to a rest position. Movement of the arm away from the rest position is yieldably opposed by elastic resistance members that react between the rockable arm and the base. An upright arm is removably supported by the base and is equipped with one or more line guides about which the force transmitting line may be reeled. In one embodiment, the line guide automatically compensates for variations in the force applied on the rockable arm to overcome variations in the resistance of the resistance members.
Regarding a bar with an adjustable cable capable for being used with exercise equipment, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,934 discloses a wrist and forearm exerciser with a wrapping cable, but no “eyelet” to center the cable.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an exercise machine that is portable, compact, lightweight, and easy to assemble. The exercise machine can perform multiple exercises.
A preferred portable exercise machine includes a substantially flat floor base that can be disassembled from other components, an actuator bar preferably having a centered pin as part of a spooling and anchoring handle; an upright member that may have an integral support and upright arm having pulleys enclosed in the upright arm; and a rocker arm that can be removably pivotably connected, such as by a pin, to the support of the upright member; and a cable attached the actuator bar, passing over the enclosed pulleys and attached to the rocker arm. The integral support may include a mounting recess as an integrated stand to removably secure the actuator bar when not in use.
The inventor made improvements over his earlier patents for an exercise apparatus. Specific improved structural features include (1) a spooling, and anchoring and centering handle, (2) an integrated stand for the actuator bar, (3) a combined support base as part of an upright member, and (4) a joint sleeve and anchor. The exercise machine also adds enclosed pulleys, fewer parts, and extruded aluminum components. Improvements allow the exercise machine to be more functional, safer, lighter, more compact and more visually pleasing.
An improved spooling, anchoring and centering handle allows the length of the cable to be easily adjusted, centered for symmetrical lifting while being safely anchored. This handle allows a user to quickly adjust the length of cable on the machine to easily reconfigure the machine to perform various exercises.
The ability to quickly adjust the length of cable on the machine allows users to easily reconfigure the machine to perform various exercises. For example, if a user was performing a traditional arm curl, the user would hold the actuator bar in the user's hands at waist level and while keeping the elbows in place curl the actuator bar up to the user's chest. For the user to then perform a traditional military press, the user would then need to start with the actuator bar at chest level and press the bar over head. If the user wanted to perform a traditional bent over rowing exercise, the user would then need to start with the bar at ground level and while standing bent at the waist pull the actuator bar form the ground to their chest. To move between these three exercises a six-foot tall user would need the length of cable attached to the actuator bar to adjust approximately 5 feet. The handle allows the user to adjust the length of cable.
The spooling mechanism provides a safe spooling zone that keeps the cable safely away from the user's hands. Thus, a user's hands will not get entangled or injured from normal use of the mechanism with spooling.
The centering aspect allows the user to center the cable on the actuator bar, which results in each of the user's arms lifting a symmetrical load. This avoids the user experiencing an asymmetrical load on the actuator bar with a levering effect that would result in one of the user's arms pulling harder than the other arm to perform an exercise.
Further, centering aspect can lock the cable in place at the precise length that the user wants and will stay fixed throughout the lifting motion. If the user simply spooled the cable around the actuator bar and then started lifting with a strong amount of resistance, the actuator bar would tend to uncontrollably unwind in the user's hands.
The spooling mechanism preferably has an increased diameter at the center of the actuator bar leaving the hand grips on the actuator bar at a comfortable size. The diameter of the actuator bar has a preferred range due to the average size of a person's hands. A grip surface, such as a non-slip foam grip, is typically applied to the hand grip portions. A preferred overall diameter of the actuator bar plus the foam grip less than 1¼ inches. If a ⅛^thinch foam grip is applied over actuator bar, the maximum diameter of the actuator bar is 1 inch. At one inch, to spool the cable around the actuator bar, it may take 20 revolutions to spool the five feet of cable needed to move from the military press to the bent over row. Adjusting the cable between different exercises, 20 revolutions around the actuator bar would become very monotonous and time consuming over a full workout. Due to the increased diameter of the spooling mechanism, the revolutions needed to adjust the cable five feet drops from 20 to 9. For ten different exercises during a workout, the disclosed spooling mechanism could result in approx. 100 fewer revolutions of the cable around the actuator bar.
The next improvement is enclosed pulleys that are enhancements over pulleys mounted to the outside of a bar that extends vertically from a base. The disclosed pulleys are enclosed in an upright member that extends vertically from the floor base. With the pulleys encased, there is less chance injury. Functionally, the enclosed pulleys keep the cable permanently on both pulleys so the cable will not slip off the pulleys in any direction; for instance, if the user does not pull on the actuator bar in a vertical motion. With the cable secured around both pulleys, the need to reattach the cable around the pulleys and the chance of injury from a cable slipping off a pulley are eliminated.
The upright member can have an integrated stand that is adapted for holding the actuator bar when not in use. This allows the user to safely store the actuator bar in a safe and visually pleasing manner. Thus, the actuator bar need not be placed on the floor when it is not in use for exercises.
The exercise machine preferably has a combined arm, sleeve, and support. The presently disclosed machine has integrated the upright arm, wherein the upstanding square sleeve 15 and brace 16 described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,248 are formed into one part, which is not permanently attached to the floor base. The upright member may include an integral sleeve that attaches to a tube that removably attaches to the floor base. The apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,248 has the upstanding sleeve and brace attached to the base. By not having the upstanding square sleeve and brace attached to the base, the presently disclosed floor base becomes substantially flat, which allows the overall machine to become flatter when disassembled. For a portable machine, a flatter design allows the machine to fit into a smaller box or gym bag.
On the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,248, the base has a sleeve down the center that an anchor member telescopes into. The presently disclosed machine integrated these two parts into one part, which results in fewer parts and less weight for easier transporting. The weight of the exercise machine is reduced by combining these two parts into one part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features of this disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent, and the disclosure itself will be best understood by reference to the following descriptions of machines taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which:

FIG. 1 shows components of a portable exercise machine disassembled;

FIG. 2 shows the compact components of the exercise machine in a portable state;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the compact components of the exercise machine illustrating flat disassembly;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an assembled exercise machine;

FIG. 5 shows a view illustrating the components assembled in such a manner to perform a selected exercise;

FIG. 6 shows a view illustrating the components assembled at a different range in performing a selected exercise;

FIG. 7 shows a view illustrating the components assembled for performing another selected exercise wherein the cable is a different length;

FIG. 8 shows a view of the cable centered for symmetrical lifting while being safely anchored to a centering pin on a spooling, anchoring and centering handle;

FIG. 9 shows an upright member with an actuator bar in an integrated stand; and

FIG. 10 shows tube adapted to secure into loops of a floor base without the upright support attached to the tube.

The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure that are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiments in different forms, the figures show, and herein described in detail, embodiments with the understanding that the present descriptions are to be considered exemplifications of the principles of the disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the figures.
FIGS. 1 through 7 show a portable exercise machine 12 that is compact, lightweight, and easy to assemble. The exercise machine 12 includes a floor base 14, an upright member 16, a user-held actuator bar 18 at an end of a cable 20 (defined broadly as any flexible force transmitting line, cord or rope). The cable 20 connects the actuator bar 18 via pulleys 22 and 24 to a rocker arm 26, such as on a distal end that extends from a pivoting connection 28. The exercise machine 12 can be easily assembled without tools and then disassembled to fit in a gym bag. The lightweight exercise machine 12 may typically be about 17 pounds.
In operation, the user may stand on the floor base 14 and exert force on the actuator bat 18 that via cable 20 to rock the rocker arm 26 with positive or negative resistance for exercising the user. The machine may include resistance members 30, as fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,248, that provide resistance.
The user-held actuator bar 18 is preferably a spooling, and anchoring and centering handle 32 as shown in FIG. 8. The improved spooling, anchoring and centering handle 32 allows the length of the cable 20 to be easily adjusted, centered for symmetrical lifting while being safely anchored. The handle 32 allows a user to quickly adjust the length of cable 20 on the exercise machine 12 to easily reconfigure the exercise machine 12 to perform various exercises.
The ability to quickly adjust the length of cable 20 on the exercise machine 12 allows users to easily reconfigure the exercise machine 12 to perform various exercises. To move between these exercises the length of cable 20 attached to the actuator bar 12 must adjust several feet.
The handle 32 allows the user to adjust the length of cable 20. A spooling mechanism 34 provides a safe spooling zone that keeps the cable 20 safely away from the user's hands. The spooling mechanism 34 may include a cylinder, such as between a one and two inch diameter, preferably more than 1.25 inch diameter. A lip 36 is preferably on each end of the spooling mechanism 34 to assist the wrapping or winding of the cable 20 between the lips 36. The cable 20 preferably attaches at an end 38 of the spooling mechanism 34 to allow for winding with access to a centering pin 40 to secure the cable 20.
A centering pin 40 allows the user to center the cable 20 on the actuator bar 18, which assists the user's arms each lifting a symmetrical load. The centering pin 40 is centered on the spooling mechanism 32 which is centered on the actuator bar 18. The centering pin 40 is preferably somewhat T-shaped with a stem 42 and curved barbs 44 to assist in securing a cable 20 wound through the centering pin 40.
Further, centering pin 40 can lock the cable 20 in place at the precise length that the user wants and will stay fixed throughout the lifting motion. The cable 20 can be wound, wrapped or woven around the centering pin 40 so the cable 20 is fixed. The cable 20 can be wrapped around the stem 42 and looped or woven about both curved barbs 44 to secure the cable 20 at a desired length for a particular exercise.
The spooling mechanism 34 preferably has an increased diameter in the center of the actuator bar 18 leaving the hand grip portions 48 on the handle 32 at a comfortable size. The diameter of the hand grip portion 48 of the actuator bar 18 has a preferred range due to the size of the average person's hands. A grip surface 50, such as a non-slip foam grip, is typically applied to the hand grip portions 48. A preferred overall diameter of an actuator bar 18 plus the foam grip is less than 1¼ inches. If a ⅛^thinch foam grip is applied over actuator bar 18 on the hand grip portions 48, the maximum diameter of the actuator bar 18 would be about one inch. At only one inch, to spool the cable 20 around the actuator bar 18, it may take twenty revolutions to spool the example of five feet of cable 20 needed to move from the military press to the bent over row. Adjusting the cable 20 between different exercises, twenty revolutions around the actuator bar 18 would become very monotonous and time consuming over a full workout. Due to the increased diameter of the spooling mechanism 34, the revolutions needed to adjust the cable 20 five feet can drop from twenty to nine revolutions as an example.
The upright member 16 preferably encloses pulleys 22 and 24. With pulleys enclosed in the upright member 16, there is less chance for injury or slippage. Functionally, the enclosed pulleys 22 and 24 keep the cable permanently on both pulleys 22 and 24 so the cable 20 will not slip off the pulleys 22 and 24 in any direction; for instance, if the user does not pull on the actuator bar 18 in a vertical motion. With the cable 20 secured around both pulleys 22 and 24, the need to reattach the cable 20 around the pulleys 22 and 24 and the chance of injury from a cable 20 slipping off a pulley 22 or 24 are eliminated.
The upright member 16 preferably has an integrated stand 52 that is adapted for holding the actuator bar 18 when not in use. This allows the user to safely store the actuator bar 18 in a safe, compact, and visually pleasing manner with the cable 20 preferably wrapped around the actuator bar 18. Thus, the actuator bar 18 need not be placed on the floor when it is not in use. At the top end of the upright member 16, various attachment means 54, such as a clasp, holder gripper or recess, may secure a top portion of the actuator bar 18. At the base of the upright member 16, the integrated stand 52 may include a mount 56, such as a recess 58 to secure the other end of the upright member 16. It is contemplated that only the mount 56 could secure the actuator bar 18 without the attachment means 54. The mount 56 is preferably formed into a support 60.
The upright member 16 preferably includes a combined support 60, upright arm 62, and sleeve 64. These three pieces are preferable fixed together as an integral component.
The integral support 60 can serve multiple functions. First, the mount 56 or other aspect of the integrated stand 52 as the actuator bar holder can be molded into an end of the support 60 as part of the upright member 16 to be part of the integrated stand 52. As shown, a recess 58 forms the mount 56 in the support 60 to hold the actuator bar 18 parallel and adjacent to the upright arm 62. The recess 58 may also include a channel 66 for the cable 20 to pass through while being somewhat controlled to avoid movement of the cable 20 perpendicular to the upright arm 62.
The upright arm 62 can extend from the support 60, which are preferably fixed connected forming a distinct integral piece. The pulleys 22 and 24 are preferably within the uprights arm 62, which may be extruded aluminum. Substituting extruded aluminum for square steel tubing can help obtain a lighter weight, but still maintain required strength and other benefits as described. The lower enclosed pulley 22 can also be within the boundary of the support 60.
Next, the pivoting connection 28 can be integrated into the support 60 to pivotably secure the rocker arm 26 to the upright member 16. A pin 74 can allow for a removable connection of the rocker arm 26 from the support 60 of the upright member 16. In another embodiment, the pivoting connection 28 could be a permanent connection such as a torsional spring.
The sleeve 64 can be attached on the bottom of the support 60 as part of a distinct integral piece. The sleeve 64 is preferably not permanently attached to the floor base 14, but the sleeve 64, preferably as attached to a tube 72 via pins 74, can facilitate sliding into a recess 70, such as loops 80 complementary to the tube 72, in the floor base 14 to secure the sleeve 64 and the entire upright member 16 to the floor base 14. By not having the upright member 16 permanently attached to the floor base 14, the presently disclosed floor base 14 is substantially flat, including low profile loops 80. This allows the overall machine 12 to become flatter when disassembled. The sleeve 64 is narrower than the width of floor base 14 that it attaches to, and when turned sideways as part of the upright member 16, the sleeve 64 is narrow enough for compact disassembly and transport. As a portable exercise machine 12, a flatter design allows the exercise machine 12 to fit into a much smaller box or gym bag.
The tube 72 may include prongs 76, such as anchor rods transversely projecting, to which resistance members 30, such as elastic multi-hole donuts as shown, functionally attach to prongs 78 on the rocker arm 26, including anchor rods transversely projecting from the rocker arm 26. Such anchor rod and resistance member arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,248. The resistance members 30 can also be a variety of bands, elastic devices, and resilient means, including extension coil springs.
The presently disclosed exercise machine 12 integrates multiple parts into one piece, which results in fewer parts and less weight for easier transporting. The integrated upright member 16 is detachable from the floor base 14. The weight of the exercise machine 12 is reduced by combining multiple parts into individual parts including preferred separation from the floor base 14 of the upright member 16, which allows for flatter disassembly.
The present disclosure eliminates or relocates multiple components into fewer integral pieces that dissemble flatter than the prior art.
This disclosure has been described as having exemplary embodiments and is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations using its general principles. It is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as recited in the following claims. Further, this disclosure is intended to cover such variations from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice within the art to which it pertains.

Claims

1. A portable exercise machine comprising:

a floor base that can be disassembled from other components,

an upright member having pulleys;

an actuator bar;

a rocker arm that can be pivotably connected to the upright member; and

a cable attached the actuator bar, passing over the pulleys and attached to the rocker arm.

2. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the pulleys are enclosed in the upright member.

3. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the actuator bar includes spooling, anchoring and centering handle with a pin centered on the handle that allows a length of the cable to wrapped around a center spooling zone for an adjustable length of the cable to be centered for symmetrical lifting while being safely anchored on the pin.

4. The exercise machine of claim 3 wherein the spooling zone is a cylinder with a lip on each side that keeps the cable between the lips and outer hand grip portions on each end of the actuator bar.

5. The exercise machine of claim 4 wherein the cylinder of the spooling zone has a diameter greater than a diameter of the hand grip portion.

6. The exercise machine of claim 5 wherein the cylinder of the spooling zone has a diameter greater than one and a quarter inch.

7. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the upright member includes an integrated stand to hold the actuator bar when not in use for exercises.

8. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein the upright member includes an integral support and an upright arm.

9. The exercise machine of claim 8 wherein the support includes a recess to removably secure the actuator bar when not in use.

10. The exercise machine of claim 8 wherein the rocker arm is pivotably connectable to the support.

11. The exercise machine of claim 8 wherein the upright member further includes an integral sleeve attached to the support.

12. The exercise machine of claim 11 further comprising a tube that removably attaches to the floor base, which is substantially flat, wherein the integral sleeve of the upright member can be removably attached to the tube.

13. The exercise machine of claim 8 wherein the support includes a mount having a recess to secure a removable end of the actuator arm.

14. The exercise machine of claim 13 wherein the recess has a channel to guide the cable.

15. The exercise machine of claim 8 wherein the rocker arm can be pivotably connected via a removable pin to the support to pivotably secure the rocker arm to the upright member.

16. The exercise machine of claim 3 wherein the pin is centered on the handle, the pin being somewhat T-shaped with a stem and curved barbs to assist in securing the cable.

17. A portable exercise machine comprising:

a floor base that can be disassembled from other components,

an upright member having an integral support and upright arm having pulleys enclosed in the upright arm;

an actuator bar;

a rocker arm that can be removably pivotably connected to the support of the upright member; and

a cable attached the actuator bar, passing over the enclosed pulleys and attached to the rocker arm.

18. The exercise machine of claim 17 wherein the upright member further includes an integral sleeve.

19. The exercise machine of claim 18 further comprising a narrow tube that removably attaches to the floor base, wherein the integral sleeve of the upright member can be removably attached to the tube.

20. A portable exercise machine comprising:

a substantially flat floor base that can be disassembled from other components,

an actuator bar having a centered pin;

an upright member having an integral support and upright arm having pulleys enclosed in the upright arm; the integral support including a mounting recess as an integrated stand to removably secure the actuator bar when not in use,

a cable attached the actuator bar, passing over the enclosed pulleys and a channel guide in the recess, and attached to the rocker arm.