AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT IMPROVED VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELECTRICITY GENERATING EXERCISE APPARATUS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 IMPROVED VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELECTRICITY GENERATING EXERCISE APPARATUS For many years small electricity generators have been attached to bicycles by various means with the purpose of converting human kinetic energy into electrical energy. The recent increase in availability of so called grid-connect inverters for use with photovoltaic solar panels has enabled the further development of human powered 5 electricity generating devices with the purpose of generating electricity for supply into mains electricity power grids. This invention has been specially devised to improve the exercise experience of a person in three distinct ways: a) by enhancing the sense of achievement by converting the otherwise wasted exertion into useful electricity by using electrical generating exercise equipment; b) by improving the users control over 10 their exercise program by the provision of user-adjusted, accurate and repeatable, variable resistance; c) by improving the persons knowledge about their exercise performance by the provision of realtime direct feedback as well as post-session, web accessible, exercise performance data. 15 A variable resistance electricity generating exercise apparatus in accordance with this invention comprises an exercise machine producing rotational motion in a permanent magnet rotor of a three-phase electrical generator by way of mechanical connection between said exercise machine and said permanent magnet rotor; a selection mechanism for the purpose of selecting between a plurality of electrical tappings into 20 the electrical windings of the stator-coils of said electrical generator; a rectifier; a user power feedback system; an electrical power grid-connect inverter; an electrical power supply. One or more variable resistance electricity generating exercise apparatus may be electrically coupled to one grid-connect inverter. 25 A person using the said exercise apparatus produces kinetic energy by their exertions in a rotational motion preferably by pedalling. The rotational kinetic energy is transferred to the electrical generator by mechanical coupling. The rotational motion in said electrical generator produces electrical voltage in proportion to the speed of the rotation. An electrical load is applied to said electrical generator by way of the 30 mains electrical distribution grid coupled to said electrical generator . Electrical current is produced in said electrical circuit in proportion to the torque applied to said electrical generator. In this way said electrical generator resists the exertion of the exercising person. 35 The plurality of electrical tappings into the stator-coils of said electrical generator each, when selected, cause said electrical generator to produce a different voltage for any particular rotation speed of said electrical generator. The resistance to rotation of said electrical generator is increased upon adjustment of the said selection mechanism such that the number of included windings is increased. As a direct result more 40 electrical power is produced. Accordingly the person, the exertion by whom said exercise machine is being driven, experiences a corresponding increase in resistance to their exertions. By the same electrical principle, an adjustment of said selection mechanism, such that the number of included windings is decreased causes a corresponding decrease in resistance to the exertions of the exercising person. 45 2 IMPROVED VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELECTRICITY GENERATING EXERCISE APPARATUS The electrical energy so produced by said electrical generator, as a result of the exercise exertions of the person exercising, is conditioned by a rectifier and supplied to an electrical grid-connect inverter. By virtue of the connection of said inverter to the mains electricity distribution board of the establishment the electricity so 5 produced is directed into the mains electricity distribution circuit of said establishment. Thereby the electricity generated by said exertions of the exercising person is made available to the multiplicity of electrical appliances in use within said establishment and as a result the net electrical energy demand imposed by said establishment on the domestic mains electricity grid is diminished. 10 Electric power produced in the manner described is in direct proportion to the exertion of the exercising person. Hence measurement of the electrical power so produced by the electrical generator is used to determine the power exerted by the exercising person and is displayed as power data to said exercising person in real 15 time. Furthermore other parameters that are deemed useful for determining exercise performance, such as pedalling cadence and heartbeat rate, may be measured and reported in real time to the exercising person. Furthermore said exercise performance data is preferably transferred by electric data connection to a computer for data logging thereby enabling the exercising person to review the exercise performance 20 data of their whole exercise session. The invention may be better understood with reference to the illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 25 Figure 1. is a functional overview of an improved variable resistance electricity generating exercise apparatus. Figure 2 is a functional diagram of the preferred means of selecting between electrical tappings into the stator coils of the electrical generator. 30 Figure 3 is a functional diagram of the preferred means of measuring, transferring and displaying exercise performance information. Figure 4 is a functional overview of a preferred interconnection of a multiplicity of 35 variable resistance electricity generating exercise apparatus. Figure 1 comprises a general schematic drawing that depicts the preferred embodiment of a system and method in which a variable resistance electricity generator is integrated with an exercise apparatus for the purposes of improving the 40 exercise experience of a person using the said exercise apparatus. Initially the exercising person supplies kinetic energy preferably in the form of pedalling to a rotational motion exercise apparatus 1 said exercise apparatus is connected via mechanical coupling 4 to permanent magnet rotor 3 being an integral 45 part of electrical generator 2. Said mechanical coupling is preferably achieved by a drive belt and pulley arrangement, however persons skilled in the art would 3 IMPROVED VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELECTRICITY GENERATING EXERCISE APPARATUS understand that other couplings can also be used. For example friction wheel, geared drive, chain and sprocket, or a combination of these well known mechanisms would be suitable. Within said electrical generator the electrical windings of the stator-coils 5 are 5 customised by the incorporation of a plurality of electrical tappings. Tapping selector 6 is an electrical switching device for the use of the exercising person to adjust the number of said stator-coil windings active within the electrical circuit of said electrical generator. Figure 2 depicts the preferred embodiment of said tapping selector 6 comprising a 5 10 way, 3-pole selector switch. The user is able to rotate the switch so that any one of the terminals labelled A - E are connected to the terminal labelled S. The terminals A - E are electrically connected to said stator-coil windings 5 as shown. Although 5 tapping points are described as the preferred embodiment, a greater number of tapping points would also be possible, as would a lesser number of tapping points. 15 The terminals labelled S are connected to the rectifier 7. Whist the preferred embodiment of the Tapping Selector 6 is as depicted in Figure 2 and likewise described above, other mechanisms are available and well understood by persons skilled in the art. For example the switching action may be conveniently performed by an arrangement of relays furthermore said relays can be implemented with 20 electromagnetic relays or alternatively with solid-state relays. The output voltage of said electrical generator 2 is determined by the speed of rotational motion provided by the exercising person and the number of said stator-coil windings 5 included in the electrical circuit by the tapping selector 6. The resistance 25 experienced by the exercising person is in proportion to the output of said electrical generator 2. Output of said electrical generator 2 is electrical, alternating-current power. A rectifier 7 is incorporated in the system for the purpose of preventing the electrical generator from accepting power from elsewhere in the system. The rectifier also converts 30 alternating-current to direct-current suitable for input to the grid-connect inverter 10. An exercise performance monitor system 8 measures and displays exercise performance preferably including, but not limited to; exerted power, exerted energy, pedalling cadence, pedal torque, exercise session duration and user heartbeat rate. 35 Figure 3 depicts the preferred embodiment of said exercise performance monitor system. The power output by the electrical generator 2, via rectifier 7 is preferably measured by power measurement system 9 and input to micro-controller 12. Furthermore, data gathered from cadence measurement device 14 and heart rate monitor device 13 are both input to micro-controller 12. 40 The data gathered by the micro-controller 12 is preferably displayed to the user on an LCD screen 16 suitably mounted for easy visibility on said exercise apparatus 1. Additionally exercise performance data so measured is preferably transferred to a computer 17 provided for the purpose of logging exercise performance data. Said logged exercise performance data is preferably transformed by well known computer 45 algorithms into graphical form and loaded to a web site provided for the purpose of enabling user web access to exercise performance data.
4 IMPROVED VARIABLE RESISTANCE ELECTRICITY GENERATING EXERCISE APPARATUS An electrical power supply 18 is incorporated in the system for the purpose of activating the inverter 10 prior to the initiation of rotational motion in the exercise apparatus 1, and furthermore maintains activation of said inverter when rotational 5 motion is paused. Figure 4 depicts a suitable embodiment of the invention having up to sixteen exercise apparatus 1 coupled to an equivalent number of electrical generators 2 connected to a single inverter 10 although other functional combinations will also be apparent to 10 those skilled in the art. The DC electricity output from the plurality of rectifiers 5 are preferably connected in parallel with one another.