NO138273B - EXERCISE EQUIPMENT WITH VARIOUS MOVEMENT RESISTANCE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to exercise equipment that provides varying movement resistance for the user during a

Vegetation.

According to a common belief, the best muscle-

development by movements that are performed in such a way that the muscles continuously work at a load level that is close to their maximum performance capacity during the movement.

Most commonly known exercise equipment is not capable

to produce this type of exercise, as the movement resistance they produce remains constant or decreases during the exercise exercises, while the force that the user's muscles are able to produce will vary over the different sections of the movement, and usually increases where the apparatus's movement resistance decreases . A certain movement resistance that will require maximum effort to overcome during a certain section of the movement can thus be either too high or too low during another section of movement.

It has therefore been a desire for both exercisers and trainers to have access to an exercise device that is able to vary the resistance produced during a movement in such a way that the variations correspond to the available muscle power. Attempts have been made to satisfy this need, but the devices produced for this purpose have however proven to be very complicated and expensive.

It is therefore a main purpose of the present invention

to provide a simple and inexpensive exercise device in which the movement resistance varies as desired during the user's movement cycle.

The invention thus relates to an exercise device with varying resistance to movement and which comprises a weight arm mounted on a frame for rotatable movement about a pivot; when force is exerted by the user of the device on the affected parts, e.g. handles or pedals in connection with the weight arm; as well as a connection mechanism which constitutes a force attack point on the weight arm for a load which resists the aforementioned turning movement of the arm;

An apparatus of this kind is known in principle from French patent document no. 1.4o7.396, in which an exercise apparatus with a spring-loaded weight arm due to a fixed point of attack of the spring force on the arm is described,

On this background of prior art, however, the exercise apparatus according to the invention has as a distinctive feature that the connecting mechanism comprises a yoke designed to be loaded by weights and arranged for automatic displacement along the weight arm during the turning movement of the arm, for a predetermined change in the user's required force exerted by moving the weight arm against the effect of said weight load.

The fact that the connection mechanism is designed to be loaded with weights and is arranged for automatic movement, which can possibly be controlled in an appropriate way, along the weight arm, provides far greater options when setting a predetermined variation program for the necessary force exerted when moving the weight arm than a spring-loaded weight arm of the above-mentioned known type.

This will appear more clearly from the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, on which: Fig. 1 shows a side projection of a first preferred embodiment of the invention, sections of the movement cycle being shown by dashed lines; Fig. 2 shows a section along the line 2-2 in fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the embodiment in fig. 1 front view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the movable link which changes the weight arm's point of attack during the movement cycle; Fig. 5 is a side projection of another preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 6 shows a partial section along the line 6-6 in fig. 5; Fig. 7 shows a section along the line 7-7 in fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows a partial section along the line 8-8 in fig. 5; Fig. 9 shows in side projection a section of the second embodiment and which indicates a first design of a programmed movement resistance, and Fig. 10 shows in side projection an enlarged section of the second embodiment and which indicates another design of a programmed resistance .

Reference must now be made to the drawings, and in particular to fig. 1-4 showing an exercise apparatus lo with a floor-mounted frame 12. The frame 12 contains a stack of weights 14 mounted on a pair

guide rods 16. The guide rods 16 are pivotable for

bound with the lower part of the frame by means of a bearing connection 18, so that the guide rods 16, when the weights are lifted, can be swung inwards or outwards in relation to the frame, on either side of the vertical direction for. regulation of the movement path of the weights. The weights 14 are provided with guide holes 2o sbm travels along the guide rods 16. The weights 14 are

also provided with late er-.hole 22 for carrying out a weight-. lifting rod 24. The number of weights to be lifted is selected by inserting a roller pin 26 through pin hole 28 in the weight lifting rod 24, under the lowest weight in the selected stack of weights.

A weight arm 3o is pivotable: stored in the frame 12 on that side

which lies opposite the weights 14, by means of a pivot shaft 32. The weight arm 3o is provided with a handle section 33 which extends above the weights 14, and outwards from the frame on the side where the weights are placed. Handle 34 is arranged on the outer end of the handle section.

The weight arm 30 is also equipped with a foot section 36 which is connected to the handle section 33 at the pivot shaft 32 and extends downwards and outwards from the shaft at an obtuse angle with the handle section. At the outer end of the foot section 36, a pedal plate 38 is arranged for contact with the user's feet.

Further means of movement of the weight arm 3b is constituted by a pulling cable 4o connected to the handle section 33 by means of a freely selected ear of two such projecting ears 42. The cable 4o extends upwards in the frame 2, over a pair of pulleys 44 at the top of the frame and downwards to a pull handle 46.

To connect the weight lifting rod 24 to the weight arm 30, a yoke 48 is attached to the top of the lifting rod and extends upwards on each side of the weight arm (see Fig. 4). A roller 5o is mounted between the legs 52 of the yoke 48 and arranged for movement along the upper side 54 of the weight arm 3o. The swing axis for the weight arm 3o is positioned like this; that the upper side 54 is mainly horizontal when the lifting piece is first transferred to the weight lifting rod 24 through the yoke 48. As the user presses the handles 34 upwards, the weight arm 30 will swing > about the pivot shaft 32 on the opposite side of the frame 12, so that the upper side 54 eventually becomes more and more inclined to the axis of rotation. During this increasing inclination of the upper side 54, the roller will. 5o at the upper end of the weight lifting rod 24 tend to move towards the pivot axis for pivoting the guide rods 16 inwards into the frame 12.

To control the position of the guide rods 16 and the upper end of. weight lifting bar 24, a guide arm 56 is connected between the yoke 48 and the opposite side. of the frame 12. The guide arm 56 has one end

.swingably connected to a guide arm shaft 58 in the frame 12, while

the other end is pivotably arranged between the legs 52 for the yoke

48 using one mounting pin 6o. The guide arm axle is .58

mounted on the same side of the frame 12 as the weight arm's pivot shaft 32, by means of movable mounting pieces 62. These movable mounting pieces 62 are adjustable to be able to vary the distance between the guide arm's shaft 58 and the pivot shaft 32; which forms the pivot axis for the weight arm 3b. "The guide arm 56 consists of two telescopic connected sections 64, which are releasably joined by means of an adjustment hole 66 and an adjustment pin 68. By means of these means, the guide arm 56 is made adjustable with regard to length and the position of the pivot axis.

Then the guide arm. 56f;st-yr;er.\'s'tjLiring the upper end for the weight-lifting rod 24., it will be understood that with the guide arm's...axle 58 in - the position shown in fig. 1, and the guide arm .56 set to the length indicated in the same figure, a raising of the handle section 33 on the weight arm 30 will cause the upper end of the weight lifting rod 24 to follow a curved path, which is indicated by the dashed line lo. During this movement, the roller 5o will be displaced outwards along the upper side 54 of the weight arm 3o in a direction away from the swing shaft 32, thereby lowering the mechanical torque arm that is available to the user when lifting the weights 14 using the handles 34. The guide rods 16 will first swing outwards and then<;>inwards around the swing gear 18 for setting the weight's path of movement' '/'• ' :

Then the weight arm' 3o' bg the guide arm -56 in' the' apparatus shown in

figv" 1> is -tvurtgét'rtilrdfein'i'ng-bmkrincj' the mutually separate' svihgeaksér fbr^^irte^xeWp^tiVé^-bæféakélér-'32 and L58, as the weight arm 3o is displaced during the lot movement, it will be understood that the distance that the roller 5o will travel outwards along the upper side 54

of. the weight arm 3b from a certain turning point r, as well as the speed of its movement, will be determined by the distance between the pivot shaft 32 and the axis of the guide arm 58, as well as the length of the guide arm 56.

As these factors can be varied by changing the guide arm

length using the adjustment holes '66 bg the adjusting pin '68, as well as by changing the distance between the guide arm shaft 58 bg' the pivot shaft'32 by shifting the movable mounting pieces 62, the extent of and the rate of inspiration for the resistance variations experienced by the user at certain - section of the movement," be irreplaceable. Setting the length and pivot axis for the guide arm 56 will further affect the weight force's change in direction - whereby the load time variations produced by changes in the torque arm's length are modified.

A change in the mechanical torque arm is naturally produced during the user's movement by displacing the roller 5o outwards along the upper side 54 of the weight arm 3o to positions at a greater distance from the swing axis of the weight arm than the position in which the roller 5o was at the beginning of the movement cycle/ and is further affected by the rething change in force .

Fig. 1 shows the change in direction of the forces during the movement cycle. The designation W represents the weight vector which can be decomposed, in the position shown dashed, into an axial weight vector directed towards the swing axis of the weight arm'3o, as well as a moment-forming weight vector V 2 which provides a moment, directed towards the swinging movement which is generated by the user of the device. As the guide arm 56 takes up the axial weight vector W;J,/ and prevents movement of the roller 52 in the direction of the pivot shaft 32, it must produce an equally large and oppositely directed resistance

vector R^. Since the guide arm 56 can only transmit resistance

force along its longitudinal direction, the vector R1 must be derived from a resistance vector R along the guide arm. This results in a moment-producing resistance vector R 2 which is produced by the guide arm 56 and is combined with the moment-producing weight vector to increase the resulting moment resistance directed towards

the swinging movement forced by the user. As the weight vector decreases as the weight arm 3o is swung upwards, this must be counteracted by changes in the torque arm and an increase in the resistance vector R^ in order to meet the user with an increasing effective resistance during the upward movement of the weight arm. In the position shown dashed in fig. 1, it will be seen that the sum of the weight-moment-weight-or W~ and the resistance-moment vector R_ nevertheless does not equal the main-weight vector W. The length of the moment arm for the weights, however, increases more than sufficiently to compensate for this reduction in the effective torque force , so that the user encounters more resistance in this position than in the starting position for the movement, where the weight arm 3o will be mainly horizontal - In other sections of the movement, the aforementioned vectors will exceed the main weight vector W, and will therefore be combined

with the weight arm change to further increase the torque resistance experienced by the user. This specified lowering of the vector during the course of movement illustrates the disadvantage of previously known exercise equipment that uses a swingable weight arm of the same type as in the present embodiment. As the weight arm is moved closer to the vertical position, in the previously known case more and more of the load weight will be transferred to the pivot axis, whereby the effective resistance experienced by the user is reduced. Usually this takes place in an area where the user's performance is increasing, so that full use of available muscle strength will not be achieved. With the present apparatus, this disadvantage is overcome, as has been explained.

It will also be understood that the same effect with regard to variation of the user's mechanical moment and change of direction of the resultant force will be achieved by moving the weight arm 3o by means of

the foot section 36 and the pedal plate 38 or by means of the cable

4o and the handle 46.

The way the device works will now be explained in connection with the exercises that are usually performed in devices of this type. One such exercise is the bench press. - In this case, the athlete lies on his back on a bench with his head facing the exercise machine and grasps the handles 3o with his hands. The height of the bench is such that the user's arms are well retracted with the hands placed close to the chest when the exercise is started. The user then extends the arms and thereby presses the handles 34 upwards until the arms are fully extended in the upward direction. The arms are then slowly pulled back while the handles 34 are lowered to the starting position.

The user will normally choose for his exercise the maximum weight that he is able to lift with his arms in a retracted position. After choosing such weights when placing the pin 26 in

the corresponding hole 28 in the weight lifting bar, the user exerts an upward pressure against the handles 34. As the handles 34 are forced upwards, the weights 14 are carried upwards by the weight lifting bar due to the mutual connection between the roller 50 and the upper side 54

of the weight arm 3o.

The higher the weight arm 3o is driven upwards, the further the roller •5o is displaced in the direction away from the swing shaft 32 for the weight arm 3o. This naturally leads to the lifting point for the weights coming closer to the handles 34 during the upward movement of the weight arm 3o, whereby the user constantly gets less torque arm in relation to the weight's torque and will thus experience greater resistance derived from the same weight.

When the user lowers the handles 34, the opposite movement of the roller 50 will take place and the required strength to hold back the weight stack will thus decrease as the arms are withdrawn. The change in direction of the weight force W leads at the same time to a decreasing moment-forming weight component \^ 2> so™ is at least partially compensated, and in certain places more than compensated, by the moment-forming component. resistance vector R^, further emphasizing the increase in resistance experienced by the user. As neither the torque arm change nor the force's direction change in this embodiment constitutes a linear function, the resistance changes experienced by the user will be non-linear during the exercise exercise, and will, as explained, vary

. depending on the position of the pivot axis of the guide arm

as well as the length of the guide arm.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the resistance variations during exercise exercises of this nature will not exactly correspond to the available muscle power of the user in any section of the movement. A closer tuning can, however, be achieved by matching the contour of the upper side 54 of the weight arm 3o or the periphery of the roller 5o, as will be explained in the following.

Figs. 5-8 show a modified embodiment of the present invention, which is generally denoted by the reference number 80. This modified embodiment is equipped with a frame 82

of essentially the same type as the frame 12 in the first embodiment, and which carries weights 84 on one side. The weights 84 are mounted on guide rods 86 in the same way as in the first embodiment shown, except that the guide rods in the present embodiment are not pivotably arranged in the frame, but are rigidly connected to it above and below. The weights 84 are equipped with guide holes 88 which travel along guide rods 86, in the same way as in the first embodiment. The weights 84 engage with and are lifted by a weight-lifting rod 9o, which is passed through a central hole 92 in the weights in the same way as in the first embodiment, while the selected number of weights is set by inserting a pin 94 into hole 96 in the weight- the lever.

This other embodiment/apparatus according to the present invention is also provided with a weight arm loo which is pivotally mounted in the frame 82 on a pivot shaft arranged on the opposite side of the frame in relation to the weights 84. The weight arm loo is equipped with a handle section lo4 which extends across the frame in the direction from the swing axis lo2, on the upper side of the weights 84,

and protrudes outside the frame 82, as handle lo6 is mounted at the outer end of the section. A yoke lo8 is connected to the upper end of the weight lifting rod 9o and extends upwards on each side of the weight arm loo. A main roller llo is mounted between the upright legs 112 of the yoke 108 and arranged to roll on the upper side 114 of the weight arm.

In this second embodiment, movement of the weight arm will be upward

about its axis of rotation through the pivot shaft lo2 by upward pressure against the handle, not only move the weights 84 upwards along the guide rods 86, but also force the weights against the rods as the weight arm is moved along its curved path. The weights 84 are pressed against the guide rods by virtue of the tendency of the main roller llo to be displaced in the direction of the swing shaft lo2 along the upper side 114 of the weight arm loo, when the weight arm is raised to an inclined position from the swing shaft. In order to avoid strong wear on the guide rods 86 and in the guide holes 88 through the weights 84, a pair of straightening rollers 116 are arranged on the yoke lo8 on either side of the main roller llo. The straightening rollers 116 travel along the guide bars 86 and keep the weight lifting bar 9o in vertical line with the guide bars. This action of the straightening rollers 116 keeps the stack of weights centered on the guide rods 86 and prevents severe wear on one side of the through holes 86. For mounting the main roller 110 and the straightening rollers 166, the legs 112 of the yoke 108 are extended outward from the guide rods 86 for clamping a carrier shaft 118 for the rollers. Spacers 12o are arranged between the legs 112 and the straightening rollers 116 to keep these rollers aligned with the guide rods 86.

In this second embodiment, as in the first, the main roller 110 is caused to be displaced outwards along the upper side 114 of the weight arm 100 as the handle section lo4 is raised by means of the handles lo6 during use of the apparatus. This movement of the main roller llo reduces the user's surplus of mbmentarm in the same way as in the first-mentioned embodiment, but the change and the rate of change will not be the same as in the first embodiment shown. Change of direction of the forces will also take place

in this embodiment <p>g in essentially the same way as described in the first embodiment,,, and the vector distribution of the forces is indicated by the vector diagram in fig. 5. Also in this case.W denotes the weight force vector which can be split into an axial weight vector W£ and a moment-forming weight vector V^. Movement of the roller llo towards the swing axis is prevented by the force vector R^,

which is written from a vector splitting of the main resistance vector R which is applied from the guide rods 86 through up-v." . Jr

the direction rollers 116. When the main resistance vector R is decomposed to make the axial resistance vector R^ equal and oppositely directed to the axial resistance vector R^ equal to and oppositely directed to the axial weight vector, this will result in a moment-generating resistance vector R2• The torque ejectors W, and R^ are combined into a torque force which opposes the swinging movement produced by the user..1

The operation of the second embodiment is essentially the same

as for the former embodiment, except that the rate of change of the torque arm excess is somewhat different during the movement of the weight arm loo through its movement cycle. The reason for this is the direct vertical movement path of the yoke 108 along the guide rods 86. This second embodiment naturally does not include means for changing the torque arm conditions as in the first-mentioned embodiment, where this is achieved by the adjustable length and pivot axis of the guide arm 56.

As the handles I06 are raised in the present embodiment, the weight lifting rod 90 is also raised at its connection with the main roller 110 on the upper side 114 of the weight arm 101. When the straightening rollers 116 travel upwards along the guide bars 86, the main roller - llo is pulled outwards along the upper side 114 as the weight arm llo continues its upward movement. This relationship, together with the described vector splitting, reduces the user's leverage, and does so

necessary for him to exert more force to lift the same weight.

When the handles lo6 are lowered again, the main roller llo is displaced inwards along the weight arm loo and thereby returns the lost torque arm surplus to the user.

Further modifications of the present invention can be used to more closely match the resistance at any point of the training movement to the user's potential muscle power at that point. For example, when performing a bench press, the user's potential muscle power will actually be - relatively high at the beginning of the training movement, where the arms are fully retracted, but highest at the end of the movement, where the arms are fully extended. About midway through the movement, however, there will be a weak point in terms of the muscles' power potential. This occurs around the position where the upper arm and forearm form a right angle at the elbow. In weightlifting exercises, this point is sometimes referred to as a "kneik".

In fig. 9 and lo, modifications are shown as in further

degree adapts the other embodiment shown to available muscle power during a bench press movement. In fig. 9 denotes 12o a guide block with a profiled upper side 122. The guide block 12o is attached to the upper side 114 of the guide arm loo in the movement area of the roller llo, by means of fastening bolts 124. As the main roller llo is displaced in a direction away from the pivot axis of the weight arm loo, it is brought first to travel upwards at a faster rate than would normally occur when moving along the flat upper surface 114 of the weight arm. The roller will then come to a turning point on the profiled surface, whereby the upward travel is mainly stopped, while the roller finally begins a further upward travel at an accelerating rate by the roller's movement outwards along the last section of the guide block 12o.

The apparatus in fig. lo enables a similar effect by using a profiled roller 126 and a rack 128. The rack 128 is attached to the upper side 114 of the weight arm loo by means of fastening bolts 13o. The profiled roller 126 is provided with circumferential teeth 132 which engage the rack 128 and prevent any slippage of the roller during its movement along the weight arm. The profile roller 126 can be replaced with rollers equipped with other profiles.

With each of the latter modifications, it will be understood that

by changing the guide block 12o or the profile roller 126, almost any desired course of variation for the movement resistance during an exercise cycle can be achieved.

When using these modified designs it should be understood

that the resistance variations experienced by the user are as much, and possibly more, the result of changes in the vector splitting of the forces, as they are the result of changes in the weight arm length. Changes in the vector splitting of the forces are written from the varying angle of incidence between the roller llo and the weight arm loo, on the basis of the profiled surface 122 on the guide block 12o, or between the profile roller 126 and the rack 128 (see fig. 9 and lo). Due to the simple construction used according to the invention to achieve the desired resistance variations, there will be numerous further modifications that can be advantageously used. The swing axis of the weight arm can be made movable relative to the frame, to modify the changes in the torque arm surplus during an exercise movement, and a suitable mechanism can actually be used to vary the weight arm length during an exercise movement, the weight arm being displaced in relation to the swing axis instead of in relation to the balance point.

Claims (9)

-IN'. - Exercise apparatus with varying resistance to movement and which comprises an envweight arm (30; 100) mounted on a frame U2; 82) for rotatable movement of a pivot pin (32; 102) when force is exerted by the device's user on impactors, e.g. handles (34, 46, 106) or pedals (38) in connection with the weight arm; as well as a connection mechanism (48, 24; 108, 90) which constitutes a force attack point on the weight arm for a load; which provides resistance to. said turning movement of the arm; .. characterized in that the connection mechanism' (48, 24; 108, 90) comprises a yoke (50, 52; 110, 112) arranged to be loaded by weights (14; 84) and arranged for automatic displacement along the weight arm during the turning movement of the arm, for determined change in the user's necessary exertion of force when moving the weight arm (30; 100) against the effect of said weight load (14; 84). 2. Exercise apparatus as specified in claim 1, characterized in that a lining device (122; 88, 116; 16, 56) is arranged for controlling the movement of the connection mechanism in relation to the weight arm.. 3. Exercise equipment as specified in claim 1, characterized in that the yoke comprises a roller (50) which is rotatably mounted across the weight arm (30) for rolling movement along the arm. 4. Exercise apparatus as stated in claim 2, characterized in that the lining device comprises a profile plate (122) on the weight arm, and the yoke (110, 112) is arranged for forced movement along the profile plate. 5. , Exercise equipment as stated in claim 4, characterized in that the yoke (110, 112) comprises a roller (126) with a profiled circumference and equipped with teeth (132), while the weight arm (100) comprises a rack (128) in engagement with the roller's teeth..„ 6. Exercise apparatus as stated in claims 2-5, characterized in that the lining device is made up of a pair of upright rods (83) mounted in the frame (82) on either side of the weight arm (100), as well as a pair of straightening rollers (116) connected with the yoke (110, 112) and arranged for movement along the rods. 7. Exercise equipment as stated in claim 2, characterized in that the lining device comprises a pair of upright rods (16) pivotally mounted in the frame, as well as a bearing arm (56) with one end (58) pivotally connected to the frame at a distance from the weight arm's pivot pin (32) and its other end (60) pivotally connected the connection mechanism. 8. Exercise equipment as stated in claim 7, characterized in that the lining arm (56) is adjustable in length for adjustable control of the connection mechanism's movement. 9. Exercise equipment as stated in claims 1-8, characterized in that the connecting mechanism comprises a vertically arranged rod (24) which carries said weight load in the form of a stack of weights (14).