FR2971314A1 - Rotation stopping device for use in pivot connector to stop rotation of pendulum of double air walker, has brake system co-operating with stop such that brake is in contact position when stop is located on end arc of circular course - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a braking system (212) comprising a set of brakes (218), where each brake is movable with respect to a crown of a tubular reinforcement between a spaced position in which the brake is moved away from a movable part i.e. case (202), and a contact position in which the brake is in contact with the movable part. The brake system co-operates with a stop (214) such that each brake is in the spaced position when the stop traverses a central arc of a circular course, and in the contact position when the stop is located on an end arc, of the circular course, adjacent to the central arc. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a pivot connector (2) a physical training apparatus.

Description

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a rotation stop device, a pivot connection comprising such a device and a physical culture apparatus comprising at least one such pivot connection.

The invention applies in particular in the field of physical culture apparatus. The fitness device called "Double Walker Body" and marketed by the company Jingdan Europe is a device specialized in relaxation of the legs and hip.

It comprises an armature on which two pendulums are mounted in rotation about the same axis, the clocks are intended respectively to receive the feet of the user and to allow the latter to swing the legs without support on the ground. Thanks to this walking simulation that eliminates the support on the ground, the device "Double Walker Body" allows to perform a gentle exercise promoting relaxation and relaxation of the body. However, the legislation in force requires, for security reasons, that the pendulums' rotation be limited to an amplitude of 140 °. Thus, each pivot connection of the known "Double Walker Body" physical growth apparatus is equipped with a rotation stop device, comprising: a reinforcing piece, a piece that is rotatable relative to the workpiece reinforcement about an axis of rotation, a tooth-shaped stop fixed to the moving part and eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation so as to have a circular stroke during the rotation of the moving part, and - a circular arc fixed on the armature and whose ends form stopping stops of the tooth of the movable element. Thus, the travel angle of the stop of the moving part is limited and defined by the ends of the arc. This angle is generally chosen to be 140 ° or less to comply with current legislation.

To reduce the impact of the tooth against the arc, the French patent application published under number 2 918 474 proposes a braking system consisting of elastomers arranged between the tooth and the arc. However, it was found that the presence of elastomers did not really reduce shocks and that in addition the elastomers were very quickly filed and therefore inoperative. Thus, the braking system proposed by this document does not prevent the formation of cracks in the clocks and, in the long term, the breaking of pendulums generally in the level of the tooth.

The present invention aims to overcome at least in part the previous problems. For this purpose, there is provided a device for stopping rotation, comprising: - a reinforcing piece, - a part movable in rotation relative to the reinforcing piece about an axis of rotation, - a fixed stop to the moving part and eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation so as to have a circular stroke during the rotation of the movable part, and - a braking system of the moving part relative to the frame, the device of rotation stop being characterized in that the braking system comprises at least one brake, each brake being movable relative to the armature part between a position spaced apart from the moving part leaving the latter free and a position of contact with the mobile part braking the latter, and in that the braking system is configured to cooperate with the stop so that each brake, on the one hand, is in the separated position when the stop traverses a central arc of the race and, d ' other pa rt, approaches the moving part until reaching its contact position when the stop traverses, from the central arc, at least one end arc of the race, contiguous to the central arc. According to an optional feature of the rotation stop device, the braking system is configured to cooperate with the stop so that each brake approaches the moving part until reaching its contact position when the stopper travels from the central arc, two end arcs of the race, contiguous respectively to each side of the central arc. According to another optional feature of the rotation stop device, the brake system comprises an actuator for actuating each brake according to the position of the stop, the actuator having an edge designed to be clear of the stroke of the stop when the latter traverses the central arc and to be on the stroke of the stop when the latter traverses each end arc. According to another optional feature of the rotation stop device, wherein the actuator is rotatable about an axis and is configured to be rotated by the abutment contact with the edge of the actuator when this last runs through each end arc. According to another optional feature of the rotation stop device, the actuator comprises a flattened portion on which each brake rests, the flattened portion being configured to turn on itself during the rotation of the actuator so as to repel each brake to its position of contact. According to another optional feature of the rotation stop device, the braking system comprises means for returning each brake in its position away from the moving part. It is also proposed a pivot connection, comprising: - a pivot shaft, - a housing in which the pivot shaft is rotatably inserted about its axis, and 25 - a rotation stop device as proposed above wherein the rotatable member comprises the housing and wherein the reinforcing member is attached to the pivot shaft. According to an optional feature of the pivot connection, the housing delimits a housing enclosing the rotation stop device. It is also proposed a physical culture apparatus comprising: - a frame, - at least one exercise element intended to be moved by a user to exercise, and - at least one pivot link as proposed previously respectively connecting each exercise element to the armature.

According to an optional feature of the physical training apparatus, each exercise element is a pendulum intended to be balanced by the swaying of a leg of the user, and comprises a nacelle for receiving a user's foot and suspended at the lower end of a suspension bar.

An exemplary implementation of the invention will now be described, with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a physical culture apparatus embodying the invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a pivot connection of the physical culture apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the pivot connection of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the pivot connection of FIG. 2, taken perpendicular to the sectional view of FIG. 2. In the following description, the arrangements of the elements between them will refer to three perpendicular directions between they, called later: right / left DG, up / down HB and forward / backward Av-Ar. A physical culture apparatus 100 for outdoor installation embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The physical culture apparatus 100 first comprises a tubular frame 102. The frame 102 comprises two parallel longitudinal members 104, 106 extending in the direction right / left DG and intended to rest on the ground. In order to ensure the attachment to the ground, the longitudinal members 104, 106 are provided with attachment lugs 108. The armature 102 further comprises three pairs of oblique tubular uprights 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120. Each The amount of a pair is raised obliquely from a respective spar 104, 106 so as to join the other amount of the pair. The first pair 110, 112 is located at the left ends of the longitudinal members 104, 106, the second pair 114, 116 is located in the middle of the longitudinal members 104, 106 and the third pair 118, 120 is located at the straight ends of the longitudinal members 104, 106.

The armature 102 further comprises three armature parts, called vertices 122, 124, 126, to which the two uprights of each pair 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120 meet respectively and are respectively fixed. The armature 102 further comprises three reinforcing tubular bars 128, 130, 132 respectively connecting the two studs of each pair. The armature 102 further comprises a guardrail 134 intended to be grasped by the users of the physical culture apparatus 100 to ensure their balance, as will be explained later. The rail 134 extends in the right / left direction and is attached to each of the apices 122, 124, 126. The physical culture apparatus 100 further includes exercise members 136, 138, 140, 142, attached in a movable manner relative to the frame 102 and intended to be moved by the users of the physical culture apparatus 100, so that they exercise physically. In the example described, the exercise elements are pendulums intended to be balanced by the swaying of the legs of the user. For this purpose, each pendulum 136, 138, 140, 142 comprises a nacelle 144, 146, 148, 150 intended to receive a foot of the user and suspended at the lower end of a suspension bar 152, 154, 156, 158. The physical culture apparatus 100 then comprises pivot links 160, 162, 164, 166 of axis XX 'fixed, on the one hand, respectively to the upper ends of the suspension bars 152, 154, 156, 158 and, on the other hand, respectively at the vertices 122, 124, 126. Thus, among the pendulums 136, 138, 140, 142, two 142, 140 are attached to each other respectively at the right vertex 126 and the central vertex 124 of the frame 106, so as to be able to receive the two legs of a first user. Similarly, the other two pendulums 136, 138 are attached facing each other respectively to the left vertex 122 and the central vertex 124 of the armature 102, so as to be able to receive both legs of a second user. Only the pivot connection 164 will be described in detail later, the others 5 being identical. With reference to FIG. 2, the top 124 comprises a cylindrical portion 200 along an axis XX 'of right / left direction and a collar 201 attached to the right end of the cylindrical portion 200. The pivot connection 164 comprises the top 124. The pivot connection 164 further comprises a cylindrical housing 202 attached to the upper end of the suspension bar 156. The housing 202 successively comprises a first cylindrical portion 204 enclosing a ball bearing 206, and a second cylindrical portion 208 of larger diameter than the first cylindrical portion 204. The second cylindrical portion 208 of the housing 202 is closed by the collar 201 of the top 124 and defines a housing 212 enclosing a braking system 212 which will be described in detail later. The housing 202 is further provided with an abutment 214 for actuating the braking. The actuating stop 214 is attached to the second portion 208 of the housing 202 and extends into the housing 210 in the right / left direction. The pivot connection 164 further comprises a pivot shaft 216 extending along the axis XX '. The pivot shaft 216 has a first end inserted and fixed in the cylindrical portion 200 of the apex 124, and a second end inserted into the ball bearing 206, so as to allow the housing 202 to rotate about the pivot shaft 216. The braking system 212 is intended to brake, to stop, the rotation of the housing 202 relative to the pivot shaft 216, and therefore relative to the armature 102. In the example described, the braking system 212 comprises a right brake 218 and a left brake (not shown in Figure 2). Each brake is crescent-shaped, that is to say shaped "C", rectangular section. Their upper and lower edges (end faces) are respectively arranged facing each other so that the two brakes form, together, substantially a circle of axis XX 'extending around the pivot shaft 216. Only the edges 218A, 2186 of the right brake 218 are visible in FIG. 2. The braking system 212 further comprises a pin 219 fastened to the collar 201 of the top 124 and extending into the housing 210 according to a YY axis of right / left direction. The edges of the brakes are mounted on the pin 219 so as to be pivotable about the axis YY ', as will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. The braking system 212 further comprises an actuator 220, controlled by the stop actuator 214, for actuating the brakes as a function of the position of the actuating stop 214. The actuator 220 comprises a plate 222 perpendicular to the axis XX 'and intended to cooperate with the actuating stop 214 as will be explained later. The actuator 220 further comprises a rod 224 of axis ZZ 'in the right / left direction. The rod 224 is fixed to the plate 222 and mounted through the collar 201 of the top 124 rotatably about the axis ZZ '. Thus, the actuator 220 is rotatable about the axis ZZ '. In addition, the rod 224 of the actuator 220 has a flattened portion 226 against which the lower edges of the brakes come to rest. As the flattened portion 226 extends along the axis ZZ ', rotation of the actuator 220 causes rotation of the flattened portion 226 on itself. With reference to FIG. 3, the left brake 302 is visible. With reference to FIG. 4, the plate 222 is pierced with a central opening 402 intended, on the one hand, to allow the passage of the pivot shaft 216 25 and, on the other hand, to receive the stop 214. The plate 222 and has an inner edge 404 defining the central opening 402 and intended to cooperate with the actuating stop 214 for the latter to rotate the actuator 220 about the axis ZZ '. The actuating abutment 214 follows a circular path as the pendulum 140 is rotated to the housing 202. When the actuating abutment 214 traverses a central arc 406, the inner edge 404 is configured to be disengaged from the travel of the housing. actuating stop (214). In the example described, the inner edge (404) is at a distance from the axis XX 'equal (or generally greater than or equal to) the distance D between the axis XX' and the side of the abutment d actuation 214 opposite the axis XX '. Thus, along the central arc 406, the actuating stop 214 only slides on the inner edge 404, leaving the actuator 220 free. Preferably, the central arc 406 extends on an angle from 70 ° to 90 °, for example 78 ° in the example described. When the actuating stop 214 traverses one of two end arches 406, 408, contiguous to the central arc 406, the inner edge 404 approaches the axis XX 'so as to be on the stroke of the actuating stop 214. Preferably, the distance between the inner edge 404 and the axis XX 'decreases from the distance D away from the central arc 406. Preferably, the decrease is continuous (this is that is, smoothly) and between 0.2 and 0.3 millimeters per degree. In this way, the braking is both fast enough to give the impression to the user that the actuating stop 214 is stopped by another stop (when it is actually stopped by the action of the brakes 218 302), and sufficiently slow to mechanically provide the actuating stop 214. Preferably, the end arches 408, 410 each extend at an angle of 40 ° to 50 °, for example 46 ° in the example described.

With reference to FIG. 5, the edges of the left brake 302 are visible and numbered 302A, 302B. Each upper edge 218A, 302A has a cylindrical groove 502, 504 receiving the pin 219 and allowing the brakes 218, 302 to rotate about the axis YY 'of the pin 219.

The lower edges 218B, 302B rest against the flattened portion 226. When the flattened portion 226 is in a vertical position, as illustrated, the lower edges 218B, 302B bear flat against respectively two opposite sides 506, 508 of the flattened portion 226. Furthermore, each brake 218, 302 includes a brake lining 509, 510, made for example of FERODO (registered trademark), disposed opposite an inner wall 511 of the second cylindrical portion 208 of the housing 202.

The braking system 212 further comprises return springs 512, 514 mounted between the two brakes 218, 302 to return them towards each other. The return springs 512, 514 make it possible to hold the brakes 218, 302 in place on the pin 219, as well as the return of the lower edges 2186, 3026 in plane support against respectively the two opposite sides 506, 508 of the part flattened 226 when the latter is in a vertical position. An example of operation of the physical culture apparatus 100 will now be described.

A user takes place on the physical culture machine 100. For this purpose, he inserts his feet respectively into the pods 144, 146 of the clocks 136, 138 and grasps the guard 134. The following operation is of course also applicable to the case where the user instead uses pendulums 140, 142.

The user then swings the legs and causes the pendulums 136, 138 to rotate about the axis XX '. During the rotation of the pendulums 136, 138, the actuating stop 214 moves along its path along the central arc 406, leaving the actuator 220 free so that the brakes 218, 302 remain in a position remote from the inner wall 511 of the housing 202. If the rotation becomes too great, for example because of a sway leg too important or if the user tries to throw by hand one of the pendulums 136, 138, the stop of actuation 214 enters one of the end arcs 408, 410 where the distance between the edge 404 and the axis XX 'is less than the distance D, so that the actuating stop pushes against the edge 404 of the plate. This has the effect of driving the actuator 220 in rotation about the axis ZZ ', and therefore also its flattened portion 226. The rotation of the flattened portion 226 on itself pushes the lower edges 2186, 3026 brakes 218, 302 respectively to the right and to the left, until the brakes 218, 302 are in a position in contact with the inner wall 511 of the housing 202.

In this position in contact, the brakes 218, 302 brake the housing 202, especially since the actuating stop continues to follow its stroke along the end arc 408, 410. This braking avoids shocks on the actuating stop 214 and produces only moderate forces on the actuating stop 214. The life of the actuating stop 214 is thus significantly improved. When the pendulum is returned to its vertical position, the actuating stop 224 returns along the central arc 406. With the return springs 512, 514, the brakes 218, 302 return to their initial position, with their lower edges 2186 , 3026 pushing the flattened portion 226 until it is positioned vertically thereby causing the entire actuator 220 to the initial position shown in Figure 4. It is again clarified that the invention is defined by the following claims and is in no way limited to the implementation example described above. For example, the brake lining could be disposed on the inner wall of the housing, or even both on the brakes and on the inner wall of the housing.

In addition, the rotation stopper described above could be used in other types of physical growth apparatus.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Rotation arresting device, comprising: an armature piece (124), a piece (202) rotatable relative to the armature piece (124) about an axis of rotation (XX '), a stop (214) fixed to the moving part (202) and eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation (XX') so as to have a circular stroke during the rotation of the moving part (202) , and a braking system (212) of the moving part (202) with respect to the armature (102), the rotation arresting device being characterized in that the braking system (212) comprises at least one brake (218, 302), each brake being movable relative to the armature piece (124) between a position spaced from the moving part (202) leaving the latter free and a position of contact with the moving part (202). ) braking the latter, and in that the braking system (212) is configured to cooperate with the stop (214) so that each brake (218, 302), a on the other hand, either in the separated position when the stop (214) passes through a central arc (406) of the stroke and on the other hand approaches the moving part (202) until it reaches its contact position when the stop ( 214) travels, from the central arc (406), at least one end arc (408, 410) of the race, contiguous to the central arc (406). The rotation stop device according to claim 1, wherein the braking system (212) is configured to cooperate with the stop (214) so that each brake (218, 302) approaches the moving part (202). ) until reaching its contact position when the stop (214) travels, from the central arc (406), two end arcs (408, 410) of the race, respectively contiguous to each side of the central arc (406). Rotational stop device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the braking system (212) comprises an actuator (220) for actuating each brake (218, 302) according to the position of the stop (214). ), the actuator (220) having an edge (404) adapted to be disengaged from the travel of the abutment (214) when the abutment travels through the central arc (406) and to be in the travel of the abutment (214) when the latter runs through each end arc (408, 410). 4. A rotation stop device according to claim 3, wherein the actuator (220) is rotatable about an axis (ZZ ') and is configured to be rotated by the contact of the stop (214). ) with the edge (404) of the actuator (220) when the latter traverses each end arc (408, 410). The rotation stop device according to claim 4, wherein the actuator (220) has a flattened portion (226) on which each brake (218, 302) rests, the flattened portion being configured to rotate on itself during the rotation of the actuator (220) so as to push each brake (218, 302) towards its contact position. 6. A rotation stop device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the braking system (212) comprises biasing means (512, 514) of each brake (218, 302) in its position away from the moving part (202). 7. Pivot link (160, 162, 164, 166), comprising: a pivot shaft (216), a housing (202) in which the pivot shaft is rotatably inserted about its axis (XX ') and a rotation stop device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rotatable member (202) comprises the housing and wherein the armature member (124) is attached to the housing pivot shaft (216). 25 The pivot connection (160, 162, 164, 166) according to claim 7, wherein the housing (202) defines a housing (210) enclosing the rotation stop device. A physical exercise apparatus (100) comprising: an armature (102), at least one exercise member (136, 138, 140, 142) to be moved by a user for exercising, and at least one pivot link (160, 162, 164, 166) according to claim 7 or 8, respectively connecting each exercise member (136, 138, 140, 142) to the frame (102). The exercise apparatus (100) of claim 9, wherein each exercise member (136, 138, 140, 142) is a pendulum for swinging by the swaying of a user's leg, and comprises a nacelle (144, 146, 148, 150) for receiving a user's foot and suspended at the lower end of a suspension bar (152, 154, 156, 158).