EP0279052B1 - Isokinetic ergometer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an isokinetic ergometer comprising a movement guide, power gripping points, a brake unit connected therewith and a speed regulator, characterized by the following features: (a) the power gripping points are mechanically connected with a piston movable in a cylinder, (b) a flow regulation valve is attached to the cylinder, and (c) the cylinder and flow regulation valve are hydraulically connected with one another via a pipe, the flow regulation valve regulating the length of the stroke.

Description

The present invention relates to an isokinetic ergometer.

Ergometers are used for training and targeted muscle building by athletes or for gymnastics and therapy purposes.

They usually consist of a motion control, e.g. a seat sliding on a rail, force application points, e.g. Belts, skulls, pushing or pulling device with handles or other force absorption devices and an associated braking unit or speed control. Levers or cables connected with a suitable mechanism generate resistance against braking, which is overcome by arm and / or leg actuation and / or body actuation. The provision can be made largely without force.

An isokinetic ergometer is known from US-A-4 063 726, a pump controlled by a control circuit permitting piston movements at constant speed, regardless of the force applied.

In isokinetic training, the movements take place at a constant speed regardless of the force applied. According to sports medical knowledge, this type of training is the most effective in many respects, so there is a great need for exercise equipment that enables isokinetic movement.

The present invention has therefore set itself the task of creating an isokinetic ergometer that does without electrical control loops. This object is achieved with an ergometer according to claim 1.

A flow control valve is understood to be a throttle valve with a differential pressure valve or a pressure compensator. The pressure drop at the throttle point is kept constant, the flow of the hydraulic fluid is almost independent of the working pressure.

Purely isokinetic training is possible with the arrangement described above. The liquid moved by the piston can be conveyed via the flow control valve into a container, from which it then e.g. the return movement of a rower, can be returned to the cylinder space.

Training with the aid of the device according to the invention can be considerably improved if the hydraulic fluid is conveyed into a pressure accumulator and this is brought back into the cylinder under pressure reduction via a non-return valve, as a result of which the piston moves back and in through the line cross section at a certain speed and with it the force application points his movement is at least supported. In the same way, the piston can also be connected to a return spring.

The flow rate of the hydraulic fluid can advantageously be adjusted to the respective needs, ie to the training program, by means of an adjustable orifice arranged in the flow control valve.

In this case, all the setting values and dynamic processes at any locations on the device can be tapped by data transmitters and processed in terms of data, so that constant monitoring or comparison with predetermined values is possible without delay.

For this purpose, the device according to the invention is particularly suitable and designed, as a result of which its use in the field of elite sport is derived.

According to the invention, the mechanical transmission of the training movement to the piston takes place in a particularly simple and reliable manner, e.g. by means of a pin connected to the lever or a cable pulley, to which a gearwheel is attached, which cooperates with a rack. The rack is connected to the piston and moves it back and forth according to the training movement.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to combine the isokinetic training with an eccentric one, as a result of which the type of training varies and the trianing yield can be increased. Both types of training are especially tailored to rowing training to a particularly high degree.

For this purpose, it is proposed to connect a hydraulic motor to the line connected to the cylinder and to act upon the piston with predeterminable pressures and flow velocities.

Using the latter measures, the training work is reversed in such a way that the exercising person must now work against a force exerted on the force application points. In principle, this can be done in both directions in a simple manner in that the piston front and piston rear interact alternately with the hydraulic motor.

According to available knowledge, however, a force-free or force-assisted return of the force application points by the aforementioned pressure accumulator or a return spring is sufficient.

The eccentric training work brought about against the hydraulic motor can also be carried out in particular isokinetically, for which purpose it is only necessary to interpose a separate flow control valve between the motor and the piston, which can optionally be secured by a separate check valve connected in series.

The change from purely isokinetic to eccentric training can be carried out by means of a slide which produces the supply line to the piston with the flow control valve of the purely isokinetic circuit or the pressure accumulator and the check valve assigned to it, or in a second position with the hydraulic motor or whose circulation connects.

The hydraulic motor can preferably be connected upstream with a storage container and downstream via a slide either with the cylinder of the ergometer or via the supply line to the pressure accumulator and an intermediate two-way valve with the storage container.

The hydraulic motor is preferably designed as a constant feed pump in order to build up a constant potential upstream of the flow control valve assigned to it, a pressure-maintaining valve connected to the reservoir being arranged between the flow control valve and the motor.

In the above, the "force application points" are understood to be the points at which the exercising person acts on the ergometer. These can be the handle of the cable or lever, such as with a rowing ergometer or foot support Shock devices or the arm and foot attachments of a swimming device, as well as the approaches of a back extension device or the like.

The possibility of combining isokinetic and eccentric movement sequences make the subject of the invention particularly suitable for physiotherapeutic purposes in rehabilitation.

Experiments with the present invention have achieved a high level of acceptance and motivation for training and have led to surprisingly high increases in performance.

The preferred area of application is rowing training.

Fig. 1

zeigt den Aufbau des Ruderergometers;

Fig. 2

zeigt die hydraulische Anordnung für isokinetisches Training;

Fig. 3

zeigt die Kraftübertragung auf den Kolben;

Fig. 4

zeigt ein Stromregelventil;

Fig. 5

zeigt eine Kombination für isokinetisches und exzentrisches Training;

With the aid of the accompanying figures, the present invention is therefore illustrated, for example, in the application of a rowing ergometer.

Fig. 1

shows the structure of the rowing ergometer;

Fig. 2

shows the hydraulic arrangement for isokinetic training;

Fig. 3

shows the power transmission to the piston;

Fig. 4

shows a flow control valve;

Fig. 5

shows a combination for isokinetic and eccentric training;

Fig. 1 In this figure, the structure of a rowing ergometer is shown. On a frame 3 boom 2 are attached, in which skulls 1 are pivotally mounted about axes that the pistons drive. The attachment of the skulls 1 to the axles can in principle also be designed to be vertically pivotable in order to imitate the immersion and lifting of the leaves out of the water. The axis for the pivoting movement of the rudders is formed by a pin 13, which acts mechanically via a power transmission, for example via push rods, on a piston movable in a cylinder 4. A stretcher board 25 is arranged on the head side, a seat (not shown) slides on rails 26. This arrangement is modeled on the conditions in a rowing boat.

Fig. 2 shows the above-mentioned cylinder 4, in which a piston 5 is movably housed. The piston 5 is connected to a rack 14, which is driven by a gear 27. The gear 27 is mounted on a pin 13 (FIG. 3), which is connected to the skulls (belts) and moves the rack 14 and piston 5 back and forth in accordance with the rudder movement. A flow control valve 6 is connected to the cylinder 4 via a line 7 and feeds a pressure accumulator 11 via the line 10. The supply takes place with a predetermined volume flow (v = const) that remains the same, regardless of the reversal points, regardless of the tensile force exerted on the belt or skull.

The amount of hydraulic fluid corresponding to the content of the cylinder 5 thus enters the pressure accumulator 11 and is released by the latter via the check valve 9 in the bypass 8 to the cylinder 4.

Instead of the pressure accumulator 11, it is also possible in principle to use any storage vessel, which then does not support the resetting of the skulls.

Fig. 3 shows a large representation for better understanding the power transmission via the pin 13 and the gear 27 to the rack 14, which is rigidly connected to the piston 15 via the screw 28. In the rear extension 29, the rack 14 is supported in order not to be able to avoid the engagement of the gear 27.

The cylinder 4 can be connected to the hydraulic line system via the bore 30 in the head plate 31 (FIG. 2, FIG. 5).

4 shows a flow control valve with differential pressure spring 32 and valve piston 33 that can be used according to the invention . The arrows indicate the direction of flow when the flow control valve is acted on, the flow being directed through the orifice plate 34, which, with the help of the handwheel 35, determines the throughput to predeterminable values.

The shunt (bypass) 8 with the check valve 9 is expediently integrated into this valve.

FIG. 5 shows the combination of the isokinetic hydraulics according to FIG. 2 in combination with an eccentrically acting and switchable arrangement.

This switchable eccentric mode of action, in which the exercising person has to work against an externally applied force, is achieved by the hydraulic motor 15. This acts on the piston 5 via the line 22 with the corresponding position of the slide 18. In order to be able to operate the hydraulic motor 15 at constant speeds or constant pressure, it is connected to a pressure-maintaining valve 23 via the branch 24.

The hydraulic motor 15 is fed via a line 19, a filter 36 and a cooler 37 from a reservoir 21 and also releases excess hydraulic fluid into the pressure holding valve 23.

To enable isokinetic-eccentric training, an additional flow control valve 16 can be arranged in the line 22, which is secured by a separate check valve 27.

The lever (skull) 1 has a switch 36 which moves the slider 18 to the left from the position shown and releases the inflow from the hydraulic motor 15. In the opposite Position, the slide 18 is released and retracted spring-actuated. The liquid passes through the lines 7, 7ʹ and 10ʹ into the reservoir 21 with the corresponding position of the two-way valve 20, which blocks the pressure accumulator 11 for eccentric training.

In purely isokinetic, non-eccentric operation, the slide remains in the position shown, the circuit shown in FIG. 2 with flow control valve 6, bypass 8 and check valve 9 or pressure accumulator 11 being used analogously. Only two-way valve 20 is to be switched over at the end of line 10.

A direct connecting line 38 can also be connected to the slide 18, via which line 10, 10ʹ hydraulic fluid can be circulated by the motor 15 without, for example, acting on the flow control valve 6 via line 7ʹ.

Reference symbol list

1

lever

2nd

boom

3rd

frame

4th

cylinder

5

piston

6

Flow control valve

7.7ʹ

cables

8th

Shunt

9

check valve

10th

cables

11

Pressure accumulator (return spring)

12

cover

13

Cones

14

Rack

15

Hydraulic motor

16

Flow control valve

17th

check valve

18th

Slider

19th

management

20th

Two-way valve

21

Storage container

22

Connecting line

23

Pressure control valve

24th

Junction

25th

Stretcher

26

rails

27th

gear

28

screw

29

Continuation

30th

drilling

31

Headstock

32

Differential pressure spring

33

Valve piston

34

cover

35

Handwheel

36

filter

37

cooler

38

Connecting line

Claims (8)

1. Isokinetic ergometer with a cylinder (4), a piston (5) movably arranged therein connected with a tiltably mounted lever (1), with a reservoir and with pipes (7, 10), connecting the cylinder (4) with the reservoir, in which are arranged an adjustable regulator and a return valve (9), characterised in that the adjustable regulator is a flow regulation valve (6) and that the return valve (9) is arranged in a bypass (8) between the reservoir and the cylinder (4).
2. Ergometer according to claim 1, characterised in that the reservoir is a pressure reservoir (11).
3. Ergometer according to claim 2, characterised in that the piston (5) is firmly connected with a toothed rack (14) which cooperates with a cogwheel (27) connected with the lever (1).
4. Ergometer according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a hydraulic motor (15) is attached to the pipe (7 and 22) connected with the cylinder (4).
5. Ergometer according to claim 4, characterised in that, between the cylinder (4) and the hydraulic motor (15), are arranged a further flow regulation valve (16) and possibly a further return valve (17) connected in series.
6. Ergometer according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the hydraulic motor (15) can be switched on via a slider (18) in the case of reverse movement of the lever (1).
7. Ergometer according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the hydraulic motor (15) is connectable via the connecting pipe (22) and via the slider (18) with a further pipe (38) and via a two-way stopcock (20) arranged in this with an additional storage container (21) for hydraulic fluid.
8. Ergometer according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the hdyraulic motor (15) is made as constant feed pump and that on the connecting pipe (22), between the further flow regulating valve (16) and the hdyraulic motor (15), is arranged a pressure maintaining valve (23) in a branch (24) which, on the outlet side, is connected to the additional storage container (21).

Images