BG110893A - A counteracting device for fitness and bodybuilding apparatuses - Google Patents

Abstract

The counteracting device for use in training apparatuses includes an arbour (11), designed to be rotary connected with the trainer (10). The arbour (11) has a first end (21), and opposite second end (31). The device includes also a first hub (14) that is connected with the arbour (11), which hub (14) has a contact part with a variable radius

Description

• · 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 * · · · · · · · · · ······································································ 9 FIELD OF THE INVENTION In general, the invention relates to a counter-device and, in particular, a counter-device for use in training devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known fitness and bodybuilding devices, in spite of their magnitude of size, generally consist of four main parts: (1) support structure, (2) counter device, (3) one or more terminals to various exercises, and (4) a transmission providing a physical connection of one or more terminals and the counter-device. Counter devices typically use weights, resilient elements (springs or rubber belts) and / or friction elements (mainly friction disks) to create a counter that the person operating with the training device overcomes by applying force. As power elements of the main part of such devices are used different metal plates or disks with a fixed mass. In principle, the mass of such weights is commensurate with or greater than that of the naked structure. Whenever a change in resistive load is required, the trainer usually moves a lockout corresponding to the load to be added or unloaded by the device including a number of metal weights. Thus, the load changes in steps, with the difference between two adjacent steps or levels depending on the weight of the individual weights that are added or removed. Since weights rely on gravity, they must only move in a vertical or near-erratic direction, which requires a considerable volume of construction of the device. Accordingly, there is room for improvement of the known fitness and bodybuilding devices, in particular the resistive systems used therein. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These drawbacks of the state of the art are dealt with by embodiments of the invention which are directed to a device for controlling the presence of a < RTI ID = 0.0 > · ·. :: 2. · · · ·: · ······································································································································································

An aspect of the invention provides a counter device used with a simulator. This device includes: a mandrel constructed to be connected to the treadmill, which mandrel has a first end and an opposite end; a first hub connected to the mandrel, which is a contacting portion of a variable radius; the first end being opposite to the second end, the first end being connected to the mandrel at or near the first hub so that the cord is wound on the contacting portion of the first hub; a first end elastic member having a first end and a second opposite end, the first end being connected to the second end of the cord and being designed to be connected to a point stationary relative to the trainer; a second hub connected to the mandrel, which is designed to be connected to the user-triggered element; an irrigation mechanism that is connected to the first hub and is adapted to selectively vary the radius of the contact portion of the first hub.

The horn may include a plurality of guides connected thereto. The first hub may include a conical shaped member with variable rays that moves relative to a plurality of guides by means of the adjusting mechanism. The adjusting mechanism may include a crank member connected by thread to the first hub. The elastic member may include a spring element. The elastic element may include a bar element. It may include a torsionally deformed element.

Another aspect of the invention provides a simulator. The trainer includes: a frame; a user-driven element moving relative to the frame; a countersinking apparatus comprising: a mandrel designed to be connected to the trainer and having a first end and an opposite end; a first hub which is connected to the mandrel and has a contact portion of a variable radius; a first end member and a opposite second end, the first end being connected to the mandrel at or near the first hub so that the horn is wound on the contacting portion of the first hub; an elastic element having a first end and an opposite second end, the first end being connected to the other end of the cord, and the second end being connected to a point stationary to the web; a second hub connected to the mandrel, the second hub being connected and a second hub connected to the mandrel, the second hub being connected; To the user-actuated element via a flexible element; an irrigation mechanism which is connected to the first hub and is adapted to selectively vary the radius of the contact portion of the first hub.

The mandrel may include a plurality of guides connected thereto; the aperture hub may have a conical variable-radius member movable relative to a plurality of guides by means of the adjusting mechanism. The adjusting mechanism may include a crank member connected by a thread to the first hub. The elastic member may include a spring element, a bar element or a torsionally foldable element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A complete understanding of the invention can be obtained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic of a simulator including a resistive device according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, in which the counter of the counter device is in the initial position; Fig. 2 is a schematic of a simulator including a counter-acting device as shown in FIG. 1, the mandrel of the counter device being in a second position; Fig. For a partial vertical section of the mandrel, the counter device of FIG. 1; Fig. 3b is a horizontal sectional view of the mandrel of FIG. For the B-B region of Fig. For? Fig. 3c is a profile projection of the mandrel of Fig. For the C-C region of Fig. About.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of a part of the simulator including the torsionally loaded elastic element according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a part of the simulator including a bending axial element according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; [0018] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a part of the simulator including a counter device according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a part of the simulator including a counter device according to a third non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The terms used herein, such as "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom" and derivatives thereof refer to the orientation of the elements shown in the figures and are not restrictive of claims, unless expressly indicated. All drawings are marked with the same numbers.

As used herein, the term "number" will be used to refer to any non-zero amount (i.e., one or any larger opaque).

As used herein, the claim that two or more parts are " linked " together means that the moieties are linked together either directly or through one or more intermediate moieties.

The present invention provides in principle a small and compact device of simple construction that eliminates the defects and disadvantages of known countermeasures. Moreover, it is contemplated that the present invention will lead to a new multifunctional construction in which electronic technologies can be used to program entire exercise cycles and to calculate the caloric energy consumed by the trainer.

The device constructed in accordance with the invention operates on the principle of converting the variable force required for the deformation to an elastic element (subordinate to the law of Hook) in an arbitrary force with a constant magnitude. This is achieved by using a resilient member that is driven by one end and the other end is attached to a flexible connection (e.g., rope, belt, chain, etc.). The free end of the elastic connection with a conical hub or hub whose diameter can change

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • · · ········ size without transmission ratio. The hub is mounted on the same shafts on another shaft associated with a suitable gear (gear), through a channel archimedal spiral or conical hub with a tapered thread, a groove shape for the elastic thread. In this channel is placed another elastic, which is fixed at one end to the hub, and a certain external force is applied to the free end by the user of the device. This force, which is of constant magnitude, drives the whole system.

In view of the general description of the invention described in this way, non-limiting embodiments are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3a-3c. Nafige. 1, a counter device 8 is provided for use in or together with an array 10 (shown schematically by a dashed line). Opposing device 8 includes a generally hollow mandrel 11 which is rotatably connected to the treadmill 10, preferably by means of a plurality of bearings 12 (Fig 3a), so that the mandrel 11 can rotate about axis A. It should be noted that "connected to the trainer "Within the meaning of this specification means that the particular element is associated with at least a portion of the trainer, such as, but not limited to, the frame or other element.

A first hub 14 having a generally conical shape is movably disposed on the mandrel 11 so as to be slidable relative to the mandrel 11 generally at an axis A. The first hub 14 includes a plurality of axial openings or skeins 16 (Figures 3a and 3b) through which a plurality of guides 18 pass. Each of the plurality of guides 18 is rigidly connected to the mandrel 11. This arrangement allows the first hub 14 to move relative to the mandrel 11 of the guides 18 as shown in the examples in Fig. 1 and 2, discussed below. As shown in FIG. 3b, it is preferable that each of the plurality of guides 18 is located equidistant from adjacent guides along the mandrel 11.

A regulating mechanism 20, generally disposed at the first end 21 of the overhang 11, is adjustably connected to the first hub 14 to control / adjust its relative position on the mandrel 11. In an exemplary embodiment, illustrated generally in the figures, and in particular the partial-vertical section of FIG. For the control mechanism 20 includes a button or a button;

knee 22c with a threaded threaded screw 24 which is connected thereto and is generally spaced along the axis A. The adjusting screw 24 interacts with a threaded sleeve 26 which is connected to the first hub 14 by a special key 28. The key 28 is located in a groove 29 , by means of a rotation of the knee 22 in one direction or another, as indicated by the arrow R (figure 3a), the first hub 14 moves axially along the axis A so as to obtain a greater overlap with the guides 18 as well is shown in FIG. 1, or less overlap with them, as shown in FIG. It should be noted that the knee 22 can be adjusted by the user manually or by means of another mechanism. It should also be noted that to change the position of the first hub 14 on the mandrel 11 instead of the control mechanism 20 another system may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a linear actuator can be connected to the head 14 to selectively adjust the axial position of the first hub 14 on the mandrel 11.

The dowel 11 further includes a second hub 30 which preferably includes archimedean spiral channels fixedly attached to or adjacent to the second end 31 of the mandrel 11. It should be noted that the principle of working with the archimedean spiral channels is based on the conversion constantly the increasing force exerted by the elastic element, as will be described in detail below, in a constant force (i.e., with the increase of the force of the elastic element the radius of the archimedo-spiral increases).

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate the general operating scheme of the resistive device 8 in the simulator 10. In use, a rope 32 or other user-friendly accessory, such as a handle 33 connected at one end to the second end of the second hub 30, a distant point on the A axis and is wrapped in the spiral channel to its smallest diameter. The second or cord 34 or other suitable element is connected by its first end (no number) to the mandrel 11 at or adjacent the guides 18. The second end 36 of the cord 34 is connected to the first end 40 of the elastic element (subordinate to the law of the Hook) as a cylindrical spring 38. The second end 42 of the spring 38 is connected to a point 44 fixed to the mandrel 11 (e.g., but not limited to, the tread frame 10). Although illustrated as a spring, the embodiment of FIG. 1 and 2, it should be noted that another suitable elastic member can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Appropriate elastic members are typically those elements which are elastically deformed in a predictable manner in proportion to the force applied thereto. Fig. 4 and 5 show limiting examples of other resilient members which may be used instead of the cylindrical spring 38 of FIG. 1 and 2.

For example, the system of Fig. 4 uses a rod 38 ' as an elastic member positioned so as to be torsionally distorted. Preferably, the rod 38 'is made of metal or other suitable rigid material, and may be of the bulk or generally hollow design. The rod 38 ' includes a first end 40 ' a shank 41 is a fixed diameter fixedly attached thereto. The shank 41 is arranged on and rotates freely relative to the stationary frame portion 44 or other suitable portion of the treadmill, and includes a channel 43 disposed therein. Similar to the arrangement of Fig. 1, the second end 36 (not shown in Figure 4) of the cord 34 is connected to the washer 41 and at least part of the ridge 34 is wound around it in the groove 43. The rod 38 'further includes the second end 42' fixedly attached to another stationary part 44 'from the frame or other appropriate part of the simulator. In use, the displacement of the cord 34 due to the applied force f results in an elastic torsional distortion 38 'similar to the linear distortion of the cylindrical spring 38. [0031] Fig. 5 illustrates another exemplary arrangement in which a rod or lever 38 " is arranged as a resilient member so as to distort the gouging (as shown by dashed) .The lever 38 " is preferably made of metal or other suitable material and has a first end 40 " and " near 42 ". Similar to the arrangement of Fig. 1 and 4, the first end 40 " 38 " is connected to the second end 36 of the cord 34. The second end 42 " crank lever 38 " is fixedly attached to the frame 44 or another suitable portion of the tread. In use, the displacement of the cord 34 as a result of the applied force f results in a lengthening of the lever 38 by means of the lever 38, Expected bending (dotted) similar to the predicted linear deflection of the cylindrical spring 38.

[0032] Looking again at the arrangement of Fig. 1 and 2, connecting the chord 34 to the mandrel 11 at or near the guides provides for winding the cord 34 around the first hub 14 when the hub 14 is rotated as will be described in detail below. With the aid of the adjusting mechanism 20, the partial conical surface of the first hub 14 and the effective radius R of the surface portion that is engaged by the cord 34 can be selectively altered. For example, when the first hub 14 is positioned, as shown in Fig. 1, the effective radius R1 is greater than the effective radius R2 when the first hub 14 is positioned elsewhere, as shown in the example of FIG. 2. Accordingly, the force F required to drive the handle 33 is smaller when the first hub 14 is positioned as shown in FIG. 2 than at the position in Fig. 1. [0033] After describing the basic arrangement of the exemplary simulator 10 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, it will now be contemplated to determine and adjust the force F required to pull the handle 33. During operation, there are two forces of force acting on the pedestal 11 - one is a resultant of the force F applied by the user of the treadmill 10 to the second hub 30 and the other is the resultant resistive force of the resilient member such as the spring 38.

In use, the mandrel 11 of Fig. 1 is rotated by the user and secured the required force F to the handle 33 whereby the rope 32, as already described, is wound around the second hub 30. The angle φ of this rotation can be measured in radians. If the force F is applied at a certain distance R <from the A axis, the MF movement of the force F is described by the equation:

Mp ^ FRo If the force arm F is defined for each angle φ by the equation: φ = Ro (p / 2n), the moment MF of force F can be expressed by the equation: Mp = FRo (p / 2x [ 0037] Again, looking at the example of Figure 1, the moment of the power of ME on the · · ····························································································. Of the mandrel 11 relative to the axis of rotation A due to the spring 38 is subordinated to the equation:

Me = FeRi where FE is the force exerted by the resilient spring spring 38 and aRi is the distance at which that force FE is spaced from the axis of rotation A (i.e., the effective radius of the first hub 14 as is shown in Figure 1). The force of the displacement spring FE is determined by the equation: FE = kx where k is the spring coefficient 38 (usually expressed as force / mm) and x is the distance at which the spring 38 is displaced from the given embodiment. The distance x at which the spring 38 is displaced when the mandrel 11 is rotated at an angle φ is described by the equation: x = 2ππφφ / 2π = Ritp where R1 is the radius of the part of the first hub 14 around the yarn 34 being wound in the rotation of the mandrel 11 of FIG. 1, and φ, as already described, is the angle of rotation of the mandrel 11 measured in radians (i.e., 2 n radians = 360 degrees).

Therefore, the moment ME of the mandrel applied by the spring 38 can be described by the equation: ME = kxRi = Ri2 (pk) Thus, the force F can be calculated by aligning the moments acting on the mandrel 11, namely: ME = ME By replacing the value in the above, the equation: FRo <p ^ = Rj2cpk From which the force F is readily determined as follows: F = 2nRi2k / R < Thus, the force F required to rotate the mandrel 11 is determined by the coefficient k of the spring 38, which is, by definition, a constant value depending on the elastic element used, from the radial distance ··· · · · · · · · 9 · 9 · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·····

Ro of the axis A to which the force F is applied and which would be known based on the size of the second hub 30 and the effective radius R1 of the first hub 14 which is adjusted by means of the adjusting mechanism 20 as already described. From this equation, it becomes obvious that the force F required to interlock the mandrel 11 of Fig. 2 is less than that required in FIG. 1, since the effective diameter R2 of the first hub 14 of FIG. 2 is the smaller diameter of the first hub 14 of FIG. 1.

Fig. 6 and 7 show further exemplary embodiments of simulators 10 ' and 10 " according to other non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, and in particular Figure 6 illustrates a simulator 10 'that uses a resistive device 8' similar to device 8 the previously discussed connection is Figures 1 and 2, except that a gearbox 50 has been added which can be used to selectively adjust the entire range of the resilient member 38 and / or to adjust the size of the used washer 30 '. Figure 7 depicts simulator 10 ", which it uses a counter device 8 " similar to the device 8, except that it uses a torsionally deformed elastic member 38 ', such as that described in Figure 4. Another difference in this embodiment illustrated in Figure 7 is that the second head 30 (including the archimedal spiral channels) is connected to the first end 40 'of the elastic member 38', and the pulley 41 (of constant diameter) is connected to or at the second end 31 of the mandrel 11.

From the examples given herein, it can be summarized that the counter devices 8, 8 ' and 8 " comprise three main elements, a resilient member, an axially moving conical hub and a arch or arch with a archimedess to convert the increasing force of the elastic member In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention provides a number of advantages of discrete mechanisms, for example, the relatively simple construction of the present invention provides a manufacturing process Generally, the present invention requires a small amount of space and a relatively small weight, and the performance characteristics of the invention are generally similar to those of the weights (e.g., hubs, washers, ropes / cords). The selection of force F is made without gear ratio. The present invention is readily adaptable to manually or electromechanically selecting the required and necessary force F and thus allows easy use of a programmable control system and exercises. With minor design changes, the device can be made in principle "fault-tolerant" by installing a brake to activate automatically in case of accidental or forced release of the user-operated element.

As far as a specific embodiment is described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and modifications of these details may be made in light of the general directions of the embodiment. Accordingly, the specific construction set forth herein is intended to be illustrative only and is not limitative of the invention, which is fully defined by the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims (10)

····· · · · · · · · · · · ·. *. : ·: 12.: *:: · ································································ A counter device used with a simulator, the device comprising: a mandrel designed to be rotatably coupled to the treadmill, a mandrel having a first end and a opposite end; a first hub connected to the mandrel, the hub having a contact portion of a variable radius; a first end member and a opposite second end, the first end being connected to the mandrel at or near the first hub so that the cord coils the contact portion of the first hub; an elastic element with a first end and a opposite second end, the first end being connected to the second end of the cord, and the second end being designed to be connected to a point stationary to the trainer; a second hub connected to the mandrel, which is designed to be connected with a user-actuated element; and a regulating mechanism that is connected to the first hub and is adapted to selectively change the radius of the contact portion of the first hub. Counter device according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel includes a plurality of guides connected thereto; and the first hub includes a conical shaped member with variable radius movably connected to a plurality of guides by means of the adjustment mechanism. Counter device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting mechanism comprises a crank member connected by thread to the first hub. A counter device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises a spring member. A counter device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises a bar element. A counter device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises a torsionally foldable element. 7. A trainer, comprising: a frame; · V · V · · V · V · a user-activated movable member; opposed device; comprising: a mandrel designed to be rotatably coupled to the treadmill, a mandrel having a first end and a opposite second end; a first hub connected to the mandrel, the hub having a contact portion of a variable radius; a first end member and a opposite second end, the first end being connected to the mandrel at or near the first hub so that the cord coils the contact portion of the first hub; an elastic element with a first end and a opposite second end, the first end being connected to the second end of the cord and the second end being constructed to be connected to a point stationary to the frame; a second hub connected to the mandrel, which is connected to a user-actuated element by a flexible element; and a regulating mechanism that is connected to the first hub, the adjusting mechanism being adapted to selectively change the radius of the contact portion of the first hub. The instructor according to claim 7, wherein: the mandrel includes a plurality of guides connected thereto; and the first hub includes a conical shaped member with variable radius movably connected to a plurality of guides by means of the adjustment mechanism. A training device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adjusting mechanism comprises a pin element connected by thread to the first hub. The trainer according to claim 7, wherein the resilient member includes any of the following elements: a spring member, a bar element or a torsional load member.