US20050014608A1

US20050014608A1 - Handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics for exercise apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20050014608A1
Application number: US10/873,262
Authority: US
Inventors: Choa-Chuan Chen
Original assignee: Chang Yow Ind Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chang Yow Ind Co Ltd
Priority date: 2003-07-17
Filing date: 2004-06-23
Publication date: 2005-01-20
Also published as: DE20311006U1; TWM257858U; JP3106326U; CN2776463Y

Abstract

A handle is composed of a left handlebar having a left gripping section, and a right handlebar having a right gripping section. The two gripping sections extend along a longitudinal axle of the handle and are respectively longer than the breath of the user's hand, i.e. the user can hold one of optional positions of the handle. Each of the two gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along the surface thereof. Each of the contact faces is electrically conductive but not in electrical connection with the others. The contact faces are respectively electrically connected to a particular processor of an exercise apparatus, such that the processor can scan the user's human electrical signals, like frequency of potential difference or impedance, and further transform the signals into corresponding human physiological characteristics.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise apparatuses, and more particularly, to a handle which is mounted to an exercise apparatus for detecting human physiological characteristics, such as heartbeat frequency or body fat percentage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, a variety of advanced exercise apparatuses, like jogging machines, exercise bicycles, walking machines, and so on, are provided with electrically conductive terminals on the surfaces of the handles for the user's holding. Particular electronic circuits can scan the electrical signals of human body, like frequency of potential difference, impedance, or capacitance, such that the user's human physiological characteristics, like heartbeat frequency or body fat percentage, can be detected and displayed on the screen to enable the user to be aware of the body condition or how the exercise takes effect.
Generally speaking, the heartbeat is detected by that two hands respectively appropriately approach and contact two electrically conductive terminals so as to enable the frequency of potential difference of human body to be scanned; the body fat percentage is determined by that the two hands respectively contact the two electrically conductive terminals so as to enable the biochemical impedance or capacitance of human body to be detected and to be further converted to body fat content of the user so as to calculate the body fat percentage of the user. The conventional exercise apparatus capable of detecting heartbeat frequency and body fat percentage is provided with two or four electrically conductive terminals on particular sections of the handle, i.e. on surfaces of two predetermined portions of the handle respectively for two hands' holding. When the user precisely holds the handle and contacts those conductive terminals, the electrical signals in the user's body can be scanned. For example, a conventional jogging machine includes a transversally straight handle, which has two metal pieces at two substantially central positions of the left and right sides of the top surface thereof. When the user holds the handle and contacts the two metal pieces, the user's heartbeat can be detected. Another conventional jogging machine includes a C-shaped handle, which two distal ends are bent forwards, then backwards, and further inwards and which has two metal pieces mounted adjacent to the two distal ends thereof. When the user holds the two distal ends of the handle and presses the two metal pieces by thumbs, the user's body fat content can be detected.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned prior arts include drawbacks as follows. The conductive terminals are mounted on particular positions of the surface of the handle, and the user needs to allow the two hands precisely to hold on the particular positions to proceed with the detection. However, while common people operate those conventional exercise apparatuses, they will naturally hold optimal positions of the handle within possible range according to their personal body shapes, habitual postures, or exercise degree though some of conventional handles are designed for people to hold different positions of the handles. Hence, the handles of the aforementioned conventional exercise apparatuses restrain the user from free exercise posture, such that the user will feel quite restrained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a handle of an exercise apparatus, which can detect human physiological characteristics wherever the user holds within possible range according to personal body shape, exercise posture, or exercise condition, such that the user can do exercise freely and comfortably without constraint.
The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the handle which is composed of a left handlebar having a left gripping section, and a right handlebar having a right gripping section. The two gripping sections extend along a longitudinal axle of the handle and are respectively longer than the breath of the user's hand, i.e. the user can hold one of optional positions of the handle. Each of the two gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along the surface thereof. When the user holds the handle, the two hands respectively touch the contact faces of the two gripping sections. Each of the contact faces is electrically conductive but not in electrical connection with the others. The contact faces are respectively electrically connected to a particular processor of an exercise apparatus, such that the processor can scan the user's human electrical signals and further transform the signals into corresponding human physiological characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line 2-2 indicated in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the first preferred embodiment of the present invention at work;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line 7-7 indicated in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a handle 10 mounted on an exercise apparatus and capable of detecting human physiological characteristics is constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The exercise apparatus, which can be a jogging machine, an exercise bicycle, a relaxing machine, a walking machine, or the like, is composed of a base 22, a display interface 24 (like liquid crystal display screen or digital screen) mounted on a top side of the base 22 for showing information, an input interface 26, and a processor 28 (electronic circuit) installed inside. The processor 28 can convert the impedance or capacitance of the human body into the body fat percentage which will be further shown on the display interface 24. Please note that the above-mentioned elements belong to the prior art, so it is not necessary to further describe them in detail.
The handle 10 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a left handlebar 11 and a right handlebar 12, which are symmetrically connected to bilateral sides of the top side of the base 22 but not connected with each other inside the base 22. Each of the two handlebars 11 and 12 is a substantially L-shaped elongated bar, which includes a first section transversally extending outwards from the base 22 for a predetermined length and a second section extending upwards from an end of the first section for a predetermined length; each of the first and second sections is longer than the breadth of the user's palm, such that the user can hold the two handlebars 11 and 12 by two hand respectively holding proper positions of the first sections, as shown in FIG. 3, or two hands respectively holding proper positions of the second sections, as shown in FIG. 4, or one hands holding a proper position of the first section and the other hand holding a proper position of the second section. In other words, the left handlebar 11 provides a left gripping section 13 for the user's left hand holding, and the right handlebar 12 provides a right gripping section 14 for the user's right hand holding; each of the two gripping sections 13 and 14 is L-shaped and extends along a longitudinal axle of the handlebar 11(12) and is almost as long as the handlebar 11(12).
Referring to FIG. 2, each of the handlebars 11 and 12 has a main body 15 which is a tube member made of an insulating material, like plastic or fiber composite material. The tubular main body 15 is recessed with an elongated groove 16 extending along the longitudinal axle of the handlebar 11(12) from the surface thereof. The groove 16 corresponds to the gripping section 13(14) in length. Each of the grooves 16 is embedded with an electrically conductive bar 17, like metal or conductive rubber. The surface of each conductive bar 17 is at the same or slightly more convex level with the outer periphery of each handlebar 11(12) and is formed as a contact face 18. Hence, wherever the user holds the gripping sections of the handlebars 11 and 12, the skin of the hands can touch the contact faces 18. In addition, each of the conductive bars 17 of the handlebars 11 and 12 is electrically connected to a particular input end of the processor 28 via a conductive wire 19 positioned inside the base 22.
When the user operates the exercise apparatus, based on personal body shape, habitual posture, or exercise degree, the user's left and right hands naturally holds proper positions of the left and right handlebars 11 and 12 to do exercise with the most comfortable posture. Wherever the user's two hands hold the handlebars 11 and 12 within the gripping sections 13 and 14, the two hands can touch the contact faces 18 of the conductive bars 17 of the two handlebars 11 and 12 at the same time to enable the processor 28 to scan the biochemical impedance or capacitance of the two hands, to further convert it into the body fat percentage, and then to show the body fat percentage via the display interface 24 for the user's reference.
Referring to FIG. 5, the handle 30 of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in that the main body 33 of the handlebar 31(32) is made of a metallic material to form an electrically conductive contact face 34 on an outer periphery thereof; meanwhile, the handlebars 31 and 32 have inner ends electrically respectively connected to the processor 42 via a conductive wire 35. Accordingly, wherever the user holds the two handlebars 11 and 12, the processor 42 can scan the biochemical impedance or capacitance so as to determine the body fat percentage. Alternatively, the main body can be made of an insulating material and encapsulated with a metallic or conductive rubber cover layer.
Referring to FIGS. 6-7, the handle 50 of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a left handlebar 51 and a right handlebar 52. Each of the two handlebars 51 and 52 has a tubular main body 53 made of an insulating material. The main body 53 is embedded with at least two electrically conductive bars 54 horizontally or vertically parallel to each other on the surface thereof and two elongated contact faces 55 formed respectively on surfaces of the two parallel conductive bars 54. When the user holds the handle 50, the left hand touches the two contact faces 55 of the left handlebar 51 and the right hand touches the two contact faces 55 of the right handlebar 52. Each of the conductive bars 54 is electrically connected to the particular input end of the processor 62 via a conductive wire 56. Accordingly, the processor 62 can scan the frequency of potential difference of the user's body so as to detect the heartbeat frequency and to show it on the display interface 62. In addition, if the processor is provided with a particular circuit, when the user's two hands touch electrically conductive terminals, e.g. the contact faces 55 of the left handlebar 51 and the contact faces 55 of the right handlebar 52, of the particular circuit, the user's body fat percentage can be determined at the same time.
In conclusion, the handle of the exercise apparatus can detect human physiological characteristics wherever the user holds within possible range according to personal body shape, exercise posture, or exercise degree, such that the user can do exercise freely and comfortably without constraint.
It is to be noted that the handle of the present invention is not structurally limited to two separated handlebars as described in aforementioned preferred embodiments but can be a single rod member or others having the two gripping sections respectively for the two hands' holding; each of the gripping sections has at least one contact face extending along a longitudinal axle thereof, and the contact faces are not connected with each other and are electrically connected to the processor.

Claims

1. A handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics and mounted on an exercise apparatus for a user's two hands holding while doing exercise, said exercise apparatus having a processor for converting inputted body electrical signals into human physiological characteristics and a display interface for showing the human physiological characteristics, said handle having a left gripping section for the left hand of the user and a right gripping section for the right hand of the user, said two gripping sections extending along a longitudinal axle of said handle and both being longer than the breadth of the user's hand, each of said gripping sections having at least one contact face extending along a longitudinal axle thereof from a surface thereof to be respectively touched by two hands of the user while the user holds said handle, each of said contact faces being electrically conductive and electrically connected to said processor but not in electrical connection with the others, whereby the user's body electrical signals can be inputted in said processor through the contact faces.

2. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of an insulating material, said gripping section having a conductive bar embedded on a surface of said main body, said conductive bar being made of a well conductive material extending along said gripping section, a surface of said conductive bar being exposed on the surface of the main body to form said contact face.

3. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of an insulating material, said gripping section having two conductive bars embedded on a surface of said main body, each of said two conductive bars being made of a well conductive material spaced apart and extending along said gripping section, a surface of each said conductive bar being exposed on the surface of the main body to form said contact face.

4. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a rod-like main body corresponding to each of said gripping sections, said main body being made of a well conductive material and having a surface of the main body to form said contact face.

5. The handle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a left handlebar and a right handlebar, said two handlebars being spaced apart; said left gripping section is positioned on said left handlebar; said right gripping section is positioned on said right handlebar.

6. A handle capable of detecting human physiological characteristics and mounted on an exercise apparatus for a user's two hands holding while doing exercise, said exercise apparatus having a processor for converting inputted body electrical signals into human physiological characteristics and a display interface for showing the human physiological characteristics, said handle having a left gripping section for the left hand of the user and a right gripping section for the right hand of the user, said two gripping sections extending along a longitudinal axle of said handle and both being longer than the breadth of the user's hand, each of said gripping sections having at least two electrically conductive bars parallel to each other thereof to be touched by two hands of the user while the user holds said handle, two of said electrically conductive bars being electrically conductive and electrically connected to said processor, whereby the user's body electrical signals can be inputted in said processor through the contact faces.

7. The handle as defined in claim 6, wherein electrically conductive bars are horizontally parallel.

8. The handle as defined in claim 6, wherein electrically conductive bars are vertically parallel.