US20220370847A1

US20220370847A1 - Adjustable exercise apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20220370847A1
Application number: US17/745,301
Authority: US
Inventors: Theo GRIVAKIS
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-05-21
Filing date: 2022-05-16
Publication date: 2022-11-24
Also published as: AU2022203483A1

Abstract

An exercise machine comprising a support and a frame pivotally attached at one end to the support, and a group of weights adapted to move along the frame. The other end of the frame including handles to pivotally move the frame up and down where there is a means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adjustable exercise apparatus using weights, whereby the user may wish to adjust the weight that they exercise against.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Whilst this specification will describe the preferred embodiment it is to be understood that this is by way of example only and it can be used on other exercise machines where the user may wish to vary the weight used to exercise with.
Exercise machines, such as a chest press are strengthening exercises that in the case of a chest press work people's chest, shoulders, and arms. There have been provided quite a few types of these exercise machines. For example, a seated chest press machine is an upright version of the standard lying bench press machine. The arms, placed under a weight-bearing load, are pushed away for the chest, and return to the starting position.
Particularly, to strengthen the muscles with maximum effectiveness, it is preferable to change the weights during the repetition of contracting and relaxing the muscles. Thus, assistance is required to adjust the weight applied to the machine when the user exercises to strengthen the muscles using a conventional variable weight machine such as a seated chest press machine. At other times the user may simply wish to exercise using heavier or lighter weights. To do this they have to manually add or remove weights from the machine which disrupts the exercise routine especially if for example the user wants to progressively lift less weight as they reach exhaustion.
If is an object of this invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or provides the user with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the invention is for an exercise machine comprising a support;
a frame pivotally attached at its end to the support, a group of weights adapted to move along the frame;
the other end of the platform including handles to pivotally move the frame up and down; and
a means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.
In preference the upright support includes at least one post.
In preference the frame includes a rail along which a group of weights slide.
In preference the weights are connected to an electric motor through a pulley located adjacent the support.
In preference the operation of the motor is controlled by a controller located on one handle to move the weights forwardly or rearwardly.
In preference the frame rests on the support when not being used.
In preference the machine is a chest press.
It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above may include any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments described below as appropriate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will refer to several drawings as follows.

The description will refer to several exercise machines but it is not intended to limit the invention to these types of machines only for any exercise machine may use the present invention to enable the user to change the total weight without having to increase the physical weight of items used.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seated chest press according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another seated chest press according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a non-lifted seated chest press bearing variable weights according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lifted seated chest press bearing all weights according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lifted seated chest press bearing variable weights according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration.
Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a seated chest press 10 including an upright support 12 at the back consisting of at least one vertical post 14.
Frame 18 includes a rail 20 extending forward from the upright support 12 and a transverse distal web 22. The other end of the rail 20 supports handles 26 a and 26 b respectively. A chair 50 is placed in the appropriate position so that the user engages the handles 26 a, 26 b and lifts the frame 18 that pivots at the transverse distal web 22 against the upright support 12. Legs 28 support the frame 18 when it is in the rest position. Alternately the user may, if the machine is tall enough appropriately stand.
A group of weights 30 slide along the frame 18 The weight is attached to a wire 38 that is fed through a pulley 40 and be able to be wound or unwound using a motor (not shown), the operation of which is controlled by controller 44 located on one of the handles.
Thus, the user can control the position of the weights on the frame 18 as the weights are slid along frame 18. The weight pivots at its rear end at a location higher than the handles even when lifted. Thus, the weights will always tend to try and move forward but are constrained by the wire.
The only variant in FIG. 2 when compared with FIG. 1 is the group of weights instead of a single circular weight.
Now turning to FIGS. 3 to 5 according to the second preferred embodiment, a seated chest press 10 bearing variable or all weights is laid down or lifted. The seated chest press 10 comprises a rectangular frame 18 with two transverse bars located at the distal end and near the intermedia, across which there two slides 20. There is no vertical post 14 in the second embodiment like in the first embodiment. It means that the user engages the handles 26 a, 26 b and pushes down to lift the frame 18 that pivots at the transverse distal web 22 against a support 12 which is a lower one in comparison with that of the first embodiment.
The reader will appreciate that the more forward the weights are the harder it will be to lift it. A user may therefore do some repetitive exercises with the weights being quite forward and then move them backwards as the muscles get tired and can no longer lift the total weight. This can be adjusted by the user simply controlling the motor when in the lying position without having to add or remove weights from the chest press. Furthermore, the user can adjust the lifted weights by sliding a desirable quantity of the weights forward in the frame such that more scale of the weights can be chosen by the user to do the muscle exercise.
Safety features may be added that are not shown such as stops at the front of frame to prevent the weights from sliding out to name just a few.
Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.
As discussed in the preamble this embodiment may be used on different exercise machines not just a chest press. It may be used on machines where the user may squat or raise their arms vertically in a standing position, on leg presses, bench presses and calf exercise machines but to name a few. In addition, whilst the preferred embodiment teaches the use of an electric motor to move a weight alongside a frame, the movement may be achieved by other means, such as hydraulic or even manual that the skilled addressee would have no difficulty in making.
Typically, the weights slide along the frame whereby the weights are lower in a position when away from the user and higher in position closer to the user. This assist in ensuring that the weights do not slide under gravity towards the user. However, if that would be the case, a person skilled in the art would be able to use well known engineering means to lock the weights in position if that was not the case.
The drawings assist the reader in understanding the proposed invention but are not to be taken as the final design. Thus, the drawings currently do not include pivot points/joints that are required to enable the exercise machine to operate. These features are to be understood would be obvious to a person skilled in the art. The thrust of the invention that there is an exercise machine where the weights can be moved in a direction generally towards or away from the user (not necessarily in the horizontal plane) to increase the torque necessary for the user to interact with the weight and that this can be done whilst the user is in the process of exercising rather than having to disengage with the machine to adjust the weight that they want to exercise with.

LIST OF COMPONENTS

The drawings include the following integers.

- 10 seated chest press
- 12 upright support
- 14 post
- 18 frame
- 20 rail
- 22 transverse distal web
- 26 a,b handles
- 28 legs
- 30 weights
- 34 barbell
- 38 wire
- 40 pulley
- 44 controller
- 50 chair

The reader will now appreciate the present invention which provides an exercise machine such as a chest press where a user can precisely control the increase and decrease of weight without assistance through the adjustment of the position of the weights, to achieve maximal physical effect, and which allows one to safely exercise.
In the present specification and claims (if any), the word “comprising” and its derivatives including “comprises” and “comprise” include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

Claims

1. An exercise machine, comprising:

a support;

a frame pivotally attached at one end to the support, supporting a group of weights adapted to move along the frame;

the other end of the frame including handles to pivotally move the frame up and down; and

a means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.

2. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the support includes at least one post.

3. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the frame includes a rail along which the group of weights slide.

4. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the weights driven by along the frame by an electric motor through a pulley located adjacent the support.

5. An exercise machine as in claim 4 wherein the operation of the motor is controlled by a controller located on one handle to move the weights forwardly or rearwardly.

6. An exercise machine wherein the frame rests on the support when not being used.

7. An exercise machine wherein the machine is a chest press.