EP1409084A2

EP1409084A2 - Exercise machines

Info

Publication number: EP1409084A2
Application number: EP02767150A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gareth Davies; Karl John Drage; Andrew c/o PDD Ltd. WILLS; Oliver c/o PDD Ltd. PRICE
Original assignee: Exertris Ltd
Current assignee: Exertris Ltd
Priority date: 2001-06-14
Filing date: 2002-06-12
Publication date: 2004-04-21
Also published as: GB0116587D0; WO2002102471A2; GB0114510D0; WO2002102471A3; JP2004528954A

Abstract

An exercise machine, such as an exercise bicycle, has an adjustable saddle (24) and an adjustable rest (40) for the forearms of a user. The saddle (24) is linked to the rest (40) so that adjustment of the saddle (24) causes adjustment of the rest (40). The forearm rest (40) is provided with adjacent space for the hands of a user so that a person using the machine can manually manipulate an electronic controller (48) on a lead to playa game displayed on a monitor (43) in front of the rest (40).

Description

EXERCISE MACHINES

The invention relates to exercise machines.

In recent times, there has been an increase in the use of gymnasiums and home exercise apparatus to improve physical fitness and lose weight. The sedentary nature of many modern jobs and sources of entertainment has led to a large proportion of the population physically exerting themselves very little during their normal daily life. Consequently, there is a growing view that additional physical exercise using home exercise apparatus or at a gymnasium is important for good health. Typical exercise apparatus in a gymnasium or home may include cardiovascular exercise machines such as treadmills, stationary exercise bicycles, rowing machines, steppers, climbers, cross-trainers and the like.

Exercise machines provide resistance to the movement of one or more body parts of a user to exercise the user's body. In this specification, exercise machines that provide resistance to the movement of body parts other than the arms of a user are referred to as hands-free exercise machines.

In most exercise machines which provide resistance to the legs of the user, handles are provided to be gripped by the user's hands, particularly in exercise machines where the user is in upright or upright sitting position. This can produce excess strain on the user's hands or arms.

Some exercise machines provide a handle or handlebar arrangement which is also configured so that the user can, if desired, rest the arms on the handle bars, such as in the arrangements of 0 97/33656 and US 5,129,873. However, these handle bar arrangements are not comfortable to rest on, particularly because the user's back is not straight when the forearms are rested on the handlebar and, further, because the handlebars are actually designed to be gripped by the hands and are, therefore, generally of a tubular design small enough to be held in the hands. It is not particularly comfortable when the arms are rested, for a long period of time, on such a tubular grip.

Furthermore, particularly in exercise machines provided with a monitor and incorporating a display, especially a computer game, the machine is made more interesting to the user if the user can, during the exercise, control the display.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hands-free exercise machine comprising an arm support including a rest for the forearms of a user and a free space in front of the forearm rest for receiving the hands of a user.

Further developments in the field of exercise equipment include exercise systems which provide the user with a simulated representation of the exercise activity that they are doing. Such systems generally incorporate a display which shows a representation of the user carrying out the exercise activity and an indication of performance relative to computer-generated competitors or other users.

Attempts have also been made to allow an exercise device to control a conventional video game or computer game, such that the user can play the game while exercising, in order to relieve the monotony of the exercise activity. For example, US Patent 6,126,571 describes a device which enables a conventional bicycle to be interfaced to a computer to serve as a control for electronic games. The device has a rear wheel sensor to detect the rotational speed of the rear wheel and a front wheel sensor which detects the direction of the front wheel of the bicycle.

US Patent 4,637,605 discloses a video game control arrangement in which the player movement is controlled on a video screen from the handlebars of a stationary exercise bicycle. The video controls can only be operated if the level of the user's exercise activity is above a present acceptable level .

With such arrangements, the user has to grip the handles and operate the computer game from the handle grip position. The controls are provided in the handles

In the applicant's co-pending application

GB 0116587.7, the exercise machine is combined with a computer game which is preferably controlled predominantly by movements of the user's hands, fingers, thumbs, wrists and forearms. Such fine control movements have been found to concentrate the user's mind on the playing of the computer game, rather than on the exercise that they are also doing. This encourages people to exercise more or, rather, to become discouraged less quickly.

Where the computer game is controlled by means of a joystick, joypad or similar game controller configured to be operable without movement of the user's arm above the elbow, the attention of the user is concentrated on the game, rather than the exercise activity. This can motivate the user to exercise for a longer period of time than would otherwise be the case. Current exercise machines which provide resistance to the legs of a user, such as exercise cycles, stepper machines etc. provide, as mentioned above, grips to be held by the user and, therefore, the user cannot, at the same time, control a joystick or similar game controller.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an exercise machine, particularly an exercise machine which provides resistance to the legs of a user, which is comfortable to the user and which enables the user to easily and comfortably operate the controls of a computer or the like or to have the hands free for a similar operation whilst carrying out the exercise.

By providing a forearm rest with space in front of the rest, the hands of a user are left free to perform other operations, such as operating a computer.

According to another aspect, the invention provides an exercise machine providing resistance to the legs of a user comprising an arm support having a rest for the forearms of a user, in use; a monitor arranged in the field of view of the user, in use; and controlling means to be operated by the hands of the user for controlling or influencing visual sequences or images displayed on the monitor, wherein the forearm rest is arranged relative to the monitor such that a space is provided between the arm rest and the monitor for the hands of the user, and wherein the controller is arranged to be held by the hands of the user in said space.

One form of exercise machine provides resistance to the legs of a user through a pair of rotatable pedals with a saddle providing a seat for the user while pedalling and an arm support spaced from the saddle and allowing the upper body to be supported by the arms. According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an exercise machine comprising a set of pedals, a saddle and a support so that a person sitting on the saddle turns the pedals against a resistance with the support allowing the upper body to be supported by the arms, the saddle being adjustable for height and the support being linked to the saddle so that adjustment of the height of the saddle causes a change in the position of the support .

The following is a more detailed description of some embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: -

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exercise bicycle with part of a housing of the exercise bicycle and a set of pedals removed for clarity,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the exercise bicycle of Figure 1 showing a person using the bicycle and with a saddle of the bicycle in a lowermost position,

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 but showing the saddle in an uppermost position, and

Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of a second form of exercise machine .

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the exercise bicycle comprises a base 10, a housing 11, half of which is shown at 11a, a saddle assembly 12, a linkage 13 and an arm support assembly 14. The exercise bicycle also includes a pair of pedals and a means for applying a resistance to the rotation of the pedals which is adjustable by a user. These parts form no part of the invention and are omitted for clarity. They are located in a circular aperture 15 in the housing 11.

The base 10 is in the form of a closed box formed by a rectangular lower wall 16, trapezoidal side walls 17 extending upwardly from the lower wall, rectangular end walls 18 extending between side walls 17 and an upper wall 19. As a result of the trapezoidal shape of the side walls 17, the upper wall subtends an angle of about 30° to the horizontal (see Figures 2 and 3) .

The housing 11 is formed in two halves which are symmetrical about a vertical plane and, as discussed above, only one housing part 11a is shown. The housing 11 may be moulded from plastics or from metal or from any suitable combination of those materials. Since the housing parts are identical, only the housing part 11a will be described. The housing part 11a has the shape of an inverted Y with a generally upwardly directed limb 20 and first and second angled limbs 21,22. The second angled limb 22 is fixed to the upper wall 19 of the base 10. The first angled limb 21 carries at its end a pair of outwardly directed feet 23 to support the end of the housing 11. As discussed above, an aperture 15 is formed in the centre of the housing 11a to accommodate pedals and an associated resistance mechanism (not shown) .

The upwardly directed limb 20 of the housing 11 carries the saddle assembly 12. This assembly includes a saddle 24 attached to an elongate bar 25 slidable in a rectilinear path in a passageway 26 formed in the upwardly directed limb 20 and provided with rollers 27 that engage with the bar 25 to allow for smooth movement of the bar into and out of the passage. The bar 25 is provided with a stop 28 that limits movement of the bar 25 relative to the housing part 11.

The linkage 13 includes first and second parallel links 29,30 and a connecting link 31. The first parallel link 29 is pivotally connected at one end to the second angled arm 22 of the housing 11 and is pivotally connected at the opposite end to the arm support assembly 14. Likewise, the second parallel link 30 is also pivotally connected at one end to the second angled limb 22 of the housing 11 and pivotally connected at the other end to the arm support assembly 14. A line normal to the pivots of the first parallel link 29 and passing through both pivots is parallel to a line normal to the pivots of the second parallel link 30 and passing through both pivots. As seen in Figures 1 to 3, the second parallel link 30 is connected to the arm support assembly 14 close to a lower end of the arm support assembly 14 whereas the first parallel link 29 is connected to the arm support assembly 14 at a point spaced upwardly from that lower end.

The connecting link is generally L-shaped and, towards one end, is pivotally connected to a lower end of the bar 25 at a pivot point 32 (see Figures 2 and 3) . The opposite end is pivotally connected at a pivot point 33 to the apices of a pair of spaced parallel triangular plates whose opposite side edges are connected to the arm support assembly 14, at the pivot points on the arm assembly 14 of the first and second parallel links 29,30.

A gas strut 35 is connected to an end of the connecting link 31 adjacent the pivot point 32 on the bar 25 and a point on the housing 11 adjacent the feet 23. The gas strut 35 includes a piston 36 and a cylinder 37 which can be locked against relative movement or unlocked to allow relevant movement by means of a switch 38 at the top of the bar 25 under the rear of the saddle 24.

The arm support assembly 14 comprises an elongate arcuate column 39 whose lower end is connected to the first and second parallel links 29,30 and the plates 34, as described above. The upper end of the column 39 carries a rest 40 for the forearms of a user. The position of the rest in relation to the saddle 24 is such that the back of a user is straight when the user sits on trie saddle 24 and rests his/her forearms on the rest 40. The rest 40 is of generally elongate oval cross-section and extends to either side of the column 39. The upper surface of the rest 40, which is generally rectangular in plan view, has a resilient cushioned upper surface 41. There are no hand grips. A pair of arms 42 extend forwardly of the rest 40 and are connected at their ends remote from the rest 40 where they carry a monitor 43 which may be of any known kind such as a CRT monitor but preferably an LCD monitor or a plasma display. The monitor 43 is connected to suitable control electronics (not shown) contained in the base 10. A tray 44 is provided between the arms 42 adjacent the rest 40.

The exercise bicycle is used in the following way.

Referring to Figure 2, a person 45 sits on the saddle 24 and places his/her feet on the pedals (not shown) . The person 45 rests his/her forearms 46 on the rest 20 so that his/her hands 47 extend into the free space in front of the rest 40. In this position, the person's forearms are supported over a significant length of the forearms. The person also has a straight back and can use his/her hands to grip a controller 48 which is connected by a cable 49 to the control electronics. The pedals are connected to hardware able to provide a controllable variable resistance to the rotation of the pedals. The control electronics generate, from one or more stored programmes, visual images that are displayed on the monitor 43 and the programme is controlled by signals from the controller 38, provided by the person 45. The visual images may, for example, be a game whose outcome is affected by operation of the controller 38.

The controller 48 is held in the tray 44 prior to use and, as will be seen from the drawings, the tray 44 is located so that the controller 48 falls readily to hand once the user's forearms are placed on the rest 40.

If a person wishes to adjust the height of the saddle 24, the person dismounts the machine and operates the switch 38 to unlock the gas strut 35. The saddle can then be lifted from the position shown in Figure 2 to pull the bar 25 out of the passageway 26 under the guidance of the rollers 27. The gas strut 35 provides a spring force that counters the weight of the saddle assembly 12 so making it easy for a user to raise and lower the saddle assembly 12. This extends the piston 36 out of the cylinder 37 of the gas strut 35 and also lifts the connecting link 31. The effect of this is to lift the column 39 via the plates 34 with the path of movement of the column 39 being guided by the first and second parallel links 29,30. As seen in Figure 2, the links are initially inclined downwardly away from the housing 11 and as the column 39 is raised they

15 move to a position shown in Figure 3 where the column 39, and consequently the rest 40, are moved upwardly and outwardly of the housing 11. This, combined with the fact that the passageway 26 is angled away from the column 39, results in optimal relative positions of the saddle 24 and the rest 40 for the various positions of those parts. Thus, by a single adjustment, the correct relative positions of the saddle 24 and the rest 40 are quickly and easily achieved. As described above, this may be a position in which the user's back is straight when his/her forearms are on the rest 40.

Once the correct height has been reached, the switch is released and the gas strut 35 locks to hold the saddle 24 and the column 39 in the required position. The saddle can be lowered by releasing the switch 38 and lowering the saddle with such_^movement being cushioned by movement of the piston 36 into the cylinder 37 of the gas strut 35.

It will be appreciated that the connection between the saddle assembly 12 and the arm support assembly 14 need not be provided by a linkage; it could be provided by electronic or hydraulic means or any other form of suitable connection. Although the exercise bicycle of Figures 1 to 3 shows the use of a rest 40, this is optional; the exercise bicycle may be provided with a conventional arrangement at the upper end of the column 39.

The provision of an arm support including a rest for the forearms of a user and a free space in front of the forearm rest for receiving the hands of a user need not be confined to an exercise bicycle. Referring to Figure 4, the same principle is shown applied to a step machine. Referring to Figure 4, parts common to Figure 4 and to Figures 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals and not described in detail .

The step machine of Figure 4 comprises a fixed housing 50 from which project a pair of levers 51,52. Each lever supports, at its end remote from the housing 50, a respective step 53 pivotally mounted on the associated lever 52. The levers 51,52 are mounted within - li the housing 50 for pivotal movement and they are linked such that pivotal movement of one lever in one sense is accompanied by pivotal movement of the other lever in an opposite sense. Accordingly, a person standing with each foot on a respective step 53 can perform a stepping action, similar to that used in climbing stairs, against a chosen variable resistance. Such machines are well known and will not be described in further detail.

A column 54 extends from the upper end of the housing 50 and mounts at its upper end a rest 40 of the kind described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The rest is associated with arms 42 and a monitor 43, again of the kind described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

In use, a person 45 standing on the steps 53 is able to rest his/her forearms 46 on the rest 40 with his/her hands extending into the free space in front of the rest 40. There, the person's hands 47 can grip a controller 48 which can be used to control a game or other matter appearing on the monitor 43.

It is customary to provide exercise machines which include leg movement with some form of arrangement which can be gripped by the hands, those arrangements are not designed to provide a rest for the forearms . Although in some instances the arms can be supported by such arrangements, they are neither comfortable, because the back is not straight when the forearms are rested, nor are they designed to provide a clear space in which the hands can be located to operate a device such as a controller. This problem is overcome by the arrangements described above with reference to the drawings where a specific forearm rest is provided and also the space in front of the rest is kept clear to allow the hands to operate a controller in that space. There are a number of options. The single rest 40 may be replaced by a pair of rests, one for each forearm. Each such rest may comprise a pad that is part-elliptical or arcuate in cross-section and rectangular in plan view. The gas strut 35 of Figures 1 to 3 may be located other than as shown in these figures. The controller 48 in either embodiment may be connected by a wireless link rather than the cable 49.

Claims

1. A hands-free exercise machine comprising an arm support including a rest for the forearms of a user and a free space in front of the forearm rest for receiving the hands of a user.

2. A machine according to claim 1 and further comprising a hand-operated controller connected to the remainder of the machine by a flexible electrical lead.

3. A hands-free exercise machine providing resistance to the legs of a user comprising an arm support having a rest for the forearms of a user, in use; a monitor arranged in the field of view of the user, in use; and controlling means to be operated by the hands of the user for controlling or influencing visual sequences or images displayed on the monitor, wherein the forearm rest is arranged relative to the monitor such that a space is provided between the arm rest and the monitor for the hands of the user, and wherein the controller is arranged to be held by the hands of the user in said space .

4. A machine according to any preceding claim wherein the arm support includes a column with the forearm rest carried at an upper end of the column.

5. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the forearm rest comprises two separate rests, each for a respective forearm.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein each rest comprises an arcuate pad.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the forearm rest comprises a single rest.

8. A machine according to claim 7 wherein the single rest is formed by a pad providing support for both forearms of a user over a significant length of said forearms.

9. A machine according to claim 8 wherein said pad is of generally elongate oval cross-section.

10. A machine according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the pad has a resilient cushioned surface.

11. A machine according to any one of claims 7 to 10 when dependent on claim 4 wherein the single pad extends to either side of said column.

12. A machine according to claim 1 or to any claim when dependent thereon wherein a monitor is provided located in front of the forearm rest .

13. A machine according to claim 3 or to claim 12 when dependant on claim 2 wherein the controller controls visual sequences displayed on the monitor.

14. A machine according to claim 13 wherein operation of the machine by a user influences the visual sequences displayed on the monitor.

15. An exercise machine comprising a set of pedals, a saddle and a support so that a person sitting on the saddle turns the pedals against a resistance with the support allowing the upper body to be supported by the arms, the saddle being adjustable for height and the support being linked to the saddle so that adjustment of the height of the saddle causes a change in the position of the support.

16. A machine according to claim 15 wherein the saddle is movable along a rectilinear path, the linkage being such that increasing the height of the saddle increases the height of the support and increases the spacing between the support and the saddle.

17. A machine according to claim 16 wherein the saddle is carried on an elongate member carried by a base of the machine for said rectilinear movement between an upper position and a lower position.

18. A machine according to claim 16 or claim 17 wherein said rectilinear movement is at an angle to the vertical away from the support .

19. A machine according to any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein the saddle is connected to a lockable gas spring which, when locked, prevents movement of the saddle and, when unlocked, supports the saddle to allow easy movement of the saddle.

20. A machine according to any one of claims 15 to 19 wherein the saddle is linked to the support by a mechanical linkage.

21. A machine according to claim 20 wherein said linkage includes a pair of parallel links connected between a base of the machine and the support, upward movement of the saddle pivoting the links upwardly to move the support both upwardly and away from the saddle and downward movement of the saddle pivoting the links downwardly to move the support both downwardly and towards the saddle .

22. A machine according to claim 21 wherein the support includes a column having an arm rest at an upper end thereof and being connected to and supported by said links towards a lower end thereof.

23. A machine according to claim 21 or claim 22 and including a connecting link pivotally connected at one end to the saddle and at an end opposite said one end to one of said links to transmit movement of said saddle into said movement of the support .