WO2019193532A1

WO2019193532A1 - Isoinertial machine

Info

Publication number: WO2019193532A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/052763
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michele GELMOTTO
Original assignee: M.E.C. Di Gemotto Michele
Priority date: 2018-04-04
Filing date: 2019-04-04
Publication date: 2019-10-10

Abstract

The present invention in particular concerns the fitness sector. Increasingly, in modern society, a greater focus on physical health promotes the interest of individuals of all ages, towards fitness and activities that allow to keep the body in good shape bringing numerous benefits in the overall health of the person. Surely, one of the favourite places to practice physical training, is the gym where are practiced countless sports activities but also rehabilitative and corrective activities by means, often, of tools and equipment more or less complex. In particular, this invention aims to describe an innovative machine or device for isoinertial training.

Description

Title of the invention

"Isoinertial machine"

Text of the description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in particular concerns the fitness sector.

Increasingly, in modern society, a greater focus on physical health promotes the interest of individuals of all ages, towards fitness and activities that allow to keep the body in good shape this bringing numerous benefits in the overall health of the person.

Surely, one of the favorite places to practice physical training, is the gym where are practiced countless sports activities but also rehabilitative and corrective activities by means, often, of more or less complex tools and equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Tools or machines known as "isoinertial" have also been used for this purpose for a certain time.

The motor activity defined as isoinertial was born in the late '80s after the work of two Swedish scientists Per Tesch and Hans Berg of the Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm who set themselves the goal of solving a problem that afflicted astronauts who remained for long periods in the absence of gravity, this condition has as a result a significant decrease in muscle mass and bone density. The research was based on how to artificially recreate the gravitational force, obviously absent in space, to which the astronauts would have to counter with a higher opposite force and in a way that this effort could be repeated in a repeated, controlled, modulated and measured way. Intuition came from observing a toy: the Yo-Yo. To make the yo-yo work, it is necessary to give it a force that allows it to rotate on its axis by unwinding the cable that has one end fixed on the person who operates it and the other on the axis of the yo-yo itself. Once the cable unwinds completely, it begins to roll in the opposite direction, since the yo-yo has acquired a rotational force that allows it to continue to rotate, thus rewinding the cable. The larger the size and weight of the external disks with respect to the axis on which the cable is fixed, the greater the force with which it is rewound will be, the greater the force with which the operator operates the yo-yo in the first part and the greater the force acquired to rewind in the second phase will be.

The term isoinertial is generally used to describe a training system with a belt and a flywheel which, when driven by the belt, requires a certain force to be rotated and the same force (in the opposite direction) to be stopped. The concept that is applied on isoinertial machines is therefore fundamentally that of the yo-yo mentioned above with the only difference that the operator is not the fixed point but is the subject in motion while the yo-yo is the fixed point that only performs the rotary movement on whose axis the cable moved by the operator unrolls and rolls up.

It is commonly defined in this context a concentric phase when the muscle contracts to set in motion the flywheel and an eccentric phase when the muscle stretches out opposing the entity of the force of inertia accumulated by the flywheel itself, in this way exercises can be performed under constant load or with a force requested to the user that can remain the same in both the eccentric and concentric phase with an intensity proportional to the force applied on the rotating mass during the concentric phase.

The benefits of a workout that has greater control over the eccentric phase are many as demonstrated by countless studies on the subject.

Currently, isoinertial machines are not very common, especially in gyms, given their cost compared to alternative machines; they are more easily installed in physiotherapy studios where attention to the health of the body remains a more medical than sports concern and the importance of their use justifies more the expense to be made: in these cases, in fact, the use is often post-traumatic and post-operative.

Examples of machines used for training, which are no longer in use because they are extremely bulky and cannot be transported with ease, can be found, for example, in the 1984 document US 4 483 330, which describes a training machine comprising shafts, disks and traction elements combined together by means of a series of springs at constant tension, all placed in a machine body, which is very bulky and heavy: the purpose of this invention is to propose a machine that allows to do exercises at constant tension as set and in particular that avoids that the user releasing the traction element may get hurt by the sudden return of the cable to the machine, to overcome this it has been created a system of pulleys cables and springs of traction/tension that combined with each other act substantially as a braking element.

It should be noted that this device, certainly advantageous in terms of safety, appears instead disadvantageously decidedly complex in its realization for which, not being however comparable with the extreme advantageous simplicity of that described by the present invention, this known device is plausibly expensive and in case of breakages, complicated to be adjusted differently from that described in the present invention.

In particular, the present invention is based on the field of isoinertial machines, as better described in detail below and even more particularly advantageously springs or other elements to create tension or traction are not included if not the advantageous combination flywheel/belt innovatively combined with each other as specified below.

In particular, in the present invention, an isoinertial device with variable stress will be described.

Moreover, the machines currently in circulation, allow a very limited use as equipped to train/rehabilitate a single person per machine often in one part of the body, considerably limiting the possibilities of being able to satisfy more people at the same time or treating the individual person in several ways, this also resulting in a greater economic burden on the end user, greater waiting and longer treatment times. These machines essentially consist of a frame, an interchangeable rotating disk acting as a flywheel, means such as a shaft mounted on bearings attached to the said frame and a grip on said shaft by means of flexible means suitable for transmitting the user's force to the shaft itself. These flexible means, on the one hand, have an interface suitable for the user's grip and, on the other hand, a connection to the shaft mentioned above so that the flexible means can be wound on a section of the shaft itself.

One purpose of this invention is to describe a multi-function isoinertial device for the simultaneous use by several people.

Another purpose of the present invention is to describe a multifunctional isoinertial device suitable for use on different parts of the body at the same time.

A further purpose of this invention is to describe a cost-effective multifunctional isoinertial device.

A further purpose of the present invention is to describe an innovative isoinertial device or machine that favors the diffusion of such isoinertial devices;

Another purpose of the present invention is to describe a multi-function isoinertial device with variable stress.

It is a further purpose of this invention to describe a multifunctional inertial isoinertial device suitable for rehabilitation, re-education and multiple sports disciplines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These and other purposes will be achieved by the innovative multi-functional isoinertial device described in the present invention in which the device includes at least one frame to which at least one shaft to which one or more rotating disks are connected and connecting means, such as flexible elements, to allow the disk/disks to interface with a part of the body of a user, characterized by the fact that it includes at least two rotating shafts attached to the said frame, each shaft comprising at least one or more disks attached to said shafts, each of said shafts being connected at least to a flexible element to allow the training of more than one user at the same time each using a flexible element or more parts of the body of the same user at the same time each using a different flexible element and therefore a different disk, a single device being multi-functional to allow the simultaneous training of more than one parts of the body and/or a single device being multi-user. It should be noted that, in a particularly advantageous way in this way it is possible to carry out a balanced workout for example on the same part of the body by exercising it with two or more shafts loaded with different weights, in fact, for example, by connecting a first flexible element connected to a first shaft to a user's ankle and a second flexible element connected to a second shaft to the thigh of the same leg, the user can train this leg by subjecting the thigh and ankle to different and appropriately balanced efforts, thus subjecting himself to a faster training (two exercises in one), more controlled and certainly balanced given the simultaneity of the movement and the possibility of modulation of weights according to the areas of the body concerned, but making a single movement in training. This would not be possible if several single-shaft isoinertial machines were to be used because it would be practically impossible to coordinate more than one movement at a time, and it would also be much more difficult to use more than one machine side by side for obvious logistical and cost reasons.

In this case, the rotating disks of the isoinertial machine described in this invention can be interchangeable and have a flywheel function: the machine includes at least one rotating shaft mounted on bearings integral to the frame, this shaft being connected solidly but in a way that can be dismantled to at least one rotating disk. At least one shaft is connected to a head of a flexible means of connection between the user and the shaft itself. At the other end, the flexible means have a hook for use with various means of interface with at least one user.

In a particularly advantageous way, as mentioned above, this isoinertial machine is characterized by the simultaneous comprising and support of more than one shaft and the relative rotating disc or disks, in particular the frame consists of a horizontal platform to which shaped side uprights are connected.

These uprights allow the connection and support, in addition to the platform, of one or more horizontal tubular elements in which, in the hollow part, bearing housings are made; these bearings support the shaft that will support the disk or the inertial disks and that will be connected to flexible means.

In a very advantageous way, therefore, a single isoinertial machine will be characterized by one or more connections for flexible elements, each to be interfaced at will with one or more parts of the body of one or more users at the same time, this is to the advantage of the versatility of the machine making it multifunctional where multifunctional refers to the possibility of treating both different users at the same time, and the same user in multiple ways.

In addition, the connection between flexible means such as a belt and its rotating shafts is even more innovative for this application, which is referred to here as a quick coupling.

Note that this quick coupling is only a preferred form of connection between shafts and flexible elements described in the present invention, thus not taking anything away from the scope of protection of the present invention: the connections between shafts and flexible elements can be of any type suitable for the purpose. This connection is made on the rotating shaft, i.e. the shaft includes a quick coupling which in turn includes a slot that includes a through hole; in this through hole the end of a belt will be passed through.

It is preferable and advantageous to use flat belts in particular: at least one end of the belt has an eyelet, this eyelet which is passed through the hole in the slot, then a mobile pin is inserted into this eyelet to block the belt on the shaft.

The pin will preferably be longer than the hole to stay in place and not slip through the hole itself, but of course it will be suitable to be housed in the slot, this to prevent the belt from slipping out of the hole itself.

The pin will have a diameter suitable to remain housed in the slot in the shaft.

In addition to this, advantageously, to keep the pin stuck in a reversible way inside the slot, two gaskets are inserted that maintain the interlocking of the said pin inside the slot being forced between the pin and the slot itself.

Therefore, during the rotation of the shaft (and of the inertia disks) the belts can be wound and unwound initially (for one revolution) on the shaft itself and, subsequently on themselves, forming a spool of variable diameter in relation to the number of revolutions with which the belt is wound on itself, allowing to obtain particular advantages.

In other words, advantageously, this makes the user's effort variable both in the concentric and eccentric direction. In fact, the spool has a variable radius (for example, greater at the beginning of the concentric phase and smaller at the end), which determines a variable effort according to the variation of the force arm or in relation to the variation of the spool diameter created by the winding of the belt and therefore of the moment of the force. It should be noted, therefore, that in a further innovative way this machine produces a modulated training.

In an advantageous way, the isoinertial machine described here is particularly simple in the construction detail, making it consequently also economical in construction and attractive for the purchase not only by health facilities but also for use in gyms, fitness rooms, training centers for specific sports etc..

Moreover, the possibility to use a single machine for multiple uses thanks to the greater number of shafts, allows to increase its usability with undoubted advantages both for the availability to the user in terms of waiting times, both in terms of variety of treatments. It is also clear that these innovative features will also have an effect in the physiotherapy and rehabilitation environment where currently only machines with a single shaft are used (if any).

Finally, it is clear that the above characteristics will be corroborating to promote a greater diffusion of these machines for the benefit of those who want or need to require the use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other advantages that will be obtained thanks to the innovative inertial multifunction machine device described by the present invention will be further deepened and clarified thanks to the description of the attached figures in which: in fig1 : a general view of a particularly preferred form of realization of the innovative isoinertial machine described here is represented;

in fig2: the detail of the rotating shaft of a particularly preferred form of realization of the present invention is instead represented;

in fig.3: it is represented the detail of the connection between a flexible medium and the rotating shaft of a particularly preferred form of realization of the present invention;

in fig.4: a representation of the isoinertial machine in working configuration of a particularly preferred form of realization of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig.1 shows an overview of the isoinertial machine 1 including advantageously at least one frame comprising at least two load-bearing elements of frame 2 and 3, with a shape of any choice as long as it is suitable for the purpose of supporting the components of the innovative device; these elements of frame 2 and 3 also realize the ground support of the innovative isoinertial machine. A horizontal platform/footboard 4 is connected to the load-bearing frame elements 2 and 3 and is suitable for supporting one or more persons using the machine during use in certain types of operation. Elements 2 and 3 are further connected together with one or more tubes 5 suitable to house one or more rotating shafts 6 (here for example 3) and other parts not visible here, which will be described in detail in the following figures.

There is also a flexible means such as, for example, a belt 7 connected to the central rotating shaft 6 and which will allow the user to interface with the device. On the outer side of one of the frame elements 2, 3 there are one or more inertial masses, e.g. interchangeable disks 8. These disks 8 are connected by means of an advantageously removable connection, each at the end of said shafts 6: note that at the end of each shaft can be mounted one or more disks 8.

A user may then physically connect to the isoinertial machine 1 by one or more flexible means 7 for example by means of a direct grip to one or more flexible means 7 obtained, by means of additional suitable holding means 9, fixed to the end not connected to shaft 6 of one or more of said means 7.

To these holding means 9 any additional holding devices can be connected that are suitable for the particular purpose of the desired use, this without changing in any way the scope of protection of this invention.

A traction on one of the belts 7 will promote the rotation of its shaft 6 which in turn, being connected solidly with at least one disk 8 placed at one end, will put in rotation the mass of the disk itself. Advantageously, the user will be able to treat the part of the body of interest, being able to take advantage of the benefit of a concentric phase and an eccentric phase as previously defined. Not only that, but in a very advantageous way, belt 7 will tend to wind on shaft 6 in the eccentric phase while, on the contrary, said belt 7 will tend to unfold in the concentric phase this causing the formation of a spool of variable diameter depending on the phase of movement, which will stimulate the user in a progressive way and variable in relation to the variation of the moment of the force.

It should be noted that, in a very advantageous way, as mentioned, this isoinertial machine 1 can have one or more belts 7 connected to one or more rotating shafts 6 and rotating masses 8 so as to be able to treat simultaneously one or more parts of the body and/or one or more people at the same time, this is to the benefit of treatment times and treatment methods. For example, only one machine can be used to temporarily carry out the work of three machines, which also benefits the economy of treatment for the user. Furthermore, the possibility of having more than one belt connected to a rotating mass in a single isoinertial machine, will allow to carry out completely innovative activities and treatments, not achievable with the solutions already on the market.

In fig.2 is represented the detail of a tube 5 connected to the elements of frame 2 and 3 in which a window 18 is obtained to allow the exposure of the shaft 6 in the point in which on said shaft a slot 12 has been made. Shaft 6 is supported by bearings 15 and is free to rotate around its axis coinciding with that of tube 5. At one of the two ends, shaft 6 is joined together with a disk holder 19 so that, advantageously, disk 8 can be easily changed in relation to the mass to be used and which is mounted on the shaft, by means of a connection with pins 23 attached to said holder 19 suitable to engage in a removable way in holes on disk 8. The disk 8 is then fixed to said support 19 with a screw 20, which will be screwed on the end of the shaft 6 by compressing the disk 8 to the support 19. This screw 20 is suitable for an easy grip for a user who wants to loosen it and then disconnect it from shaft 6 in order to change the disk 8.

Fig. 3a shows the innovative solution of the quick coupling 11 between flexible means 7 such as belts 7 and shafts 6. This quick coupling 11 is even more innovative for this application. This quick coupling comprises at least one hole, one eyelet and at least one locking pin.

The end of the belt 7 has an eyelet 40 that is passed through the hole 17 of the slot 12, then a pin 30 is inserted in said eyelet 40, which will be larger than the hole 17 thus preventing the belt 7 to slip out of the hole 17. In addition to this, advantageously, to keep the pin 30 locked but always in a reversible way inside the eyelet, are inserted two gaskets 32 that will physically make the lock inside the slot 12 being forced between the pin 30 and the slot itself. This quick coupling, as mentioned, is advantageously easy to dismantle allowing a quick and safe change of the belt. Note that in this representation the belt 7 is completely unwound on shaft 6.

In fig. 3b is represented the same detail of figure 3a in which the belt 7 is wound on itself in a spool 35 on the shaft 6 or for example at the end of the eccentric phase.

Finally, figure 4 shows, by way of example, a simultaneous use by more than one user of the isoinertial machine 1 to which three belts 7 are connected to their respective rotating masses 8 by means of the means illustrated above. The innovative isoinertial machine described here can be used in an advantageous way, both for simultaneous use by several people and for use by a single user, but with the possibility of treating several parts of the body at the same time.

It is therefore evident that the innovative isoinertial machine described in this invention, in a particularly advantageous way, allows to obtain all the advantages described.

Again, in some further innovative variants included in the object of this invention, this innovative device will advantageously include any number of shafts.

Again, in further variants, this multifunction isoinertial device will comprise one or more shafts each comprising, or only one or more of them, two or more slots and thus two or more flexible elements for the interface with one or more parts of the body of a user or users acting on the same shaft.

Any variations in the type of platform used, type of lateral supports, number of shafts and inertial masses, type of connection of the elastic means to said shafts, method of coupling said shafts to the machine, size of the device itself, materials used, type of belts and gripping means etc. are to be considered included in the object of this invention as better described in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A multifunction isoinertial device (1) comprising at least one frame to which at least one shaft (6) is attached, to this shaft are connected one or more rotary disks (8,8') and connecting means, such as flexible elements (7), in order to start that shaft and to enable that disk/disks to interface with a part of a user's body, characterized by the fact of comprising at least two rotating shafts (6) bounded to said frame (2), each shaft comprising at least one or more disks (8,8') bounded to said shafts, each of said shafts (6) being connected to at least one flexible element (7) such as at least one flat belt to allow the training of several users simultaneously with the same device each using a flexible element (7), or several parts of the body of the same user at the same time each using a different flexible element (7) and therefore a different disk, a single device being multi-functional to allow the simultaneous training of multiple parts of the body and/or a single device being multi-user, the one or more flexible element(s) (7) winding on the shaft(s) (6) in the eccentric phase while, on the contrary, said flexible element(s) (7) unwinding in the concentric phase this determining the formation of a spool of variable diameter according to the phase of the movement, this stimulating the user in a progressive and variable way in relation to the variation of the moment of the force.

2. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein two or more shafts are loaded with disks of the same or different weights to exert different and/or balanced forces on several parts of the body and/or on several users.

3. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said belt comprise at least one eyelet (40) at one end thereof.

4. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said shaft (6) comprises a quick coupling (11) comprising a slot (12) which comprises a through hole (17), in said through hole being housed at least the end of a belt (7), and in particular the at least one eyelet of said belt, in said eyelet a movable pin (30) is fixed to lock said belt in said shaft.

5. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said pin (30) is longer than the dimension of the hole (17) to remain in place and for not slipping through the hole itself, and has a length suitable to be housed in the slot and said pin has a diameter suitable to remain housed in the slot (12) of the shaft/shafts.

6. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein the pin is inserted in a reversible manner inside the slot by means of two gaskets (32), said gaskets (32) being adapted to maintain the engagement of said pin inside said slot (12) being forced between the pin and the slot itself.

7. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said belts (7) during the rotation of the shaft (6) are wrapped and unwind themselves forming a spool of variable diameter in relation to the number of revolutions with which the belt wraps around itself, resulting in a variable stress due to the variation of the force arm or in relation to the variation of the diameter of the spool created by the winding of the belt and therefore of the moment of effort, said machine producing a modulated workout.

8. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said device comprises any number of shafts (6).

9. The multi-function isoinertial device (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said shaft (6) comprises two or more slots (12) and therefore two or more flexible elements (7) for interfacing with one or more parts of the body of a user or several users acting on the same shaft (6).