WO2020084186A1

WO2020084186A1 - Compact inertia device for strength training

Info

Publication number: WO2020084186A1
Application number: PCT/ES2019/070724
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrique Paz Domonte; Ana MEJÍAS SACALUGA; Michael William PÉREZ TRIGANO; Manuel MONTES PÉREZ
Original assignee: Micaton Ergonomics, S.L.
Priority date: 2018-10-26
Filing date: 2019-10-25
Publication date: 2020-04-30
Also published as: ES2756581B2; EP3871741A4; EP3871741A1; US20210353994A1; ES2756581A1; CN113226488A

Abstract

The invention relates to a compact inertia device for strength training, formed by a pull body (1) and an actuation cord (2). The pull body (1) in turn comprises a main rotary shaft (4), a reel (8) mounted on the main shaft (4), an inertia element (6) solidly connected to one end of the main shaft (4) for storing kinetic energy resulting from the rotation of the main shaft (4), and a planetary gear (5) in turn comprising a central gear mounted on the main shaft (4), for increasing the speed of transmission from the main shaft (4), actuated by the reel (8), to the inertia element (6). In the preferred embodiment, the reel (8) is a conical reel including a segment of smaller diameter, to which one end of the cord (2) is solidly connected.

Description

COMPACT INERTIAL DEVICE FOR MUSCLE TRAINING

DESCRIPTION

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention falls within the technical field of gymnastic apparatus for strengthening muscles, more specifically in that of those apparatuses that include resistant devices with rotating bodies, and refers in particular to a compact device for resistance-based muscle training. at a tensile force exerted by inertial discs and which can be used either by a single user or by two users simultaneously.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a training device for training, toning, training and rehabilitation by resistance to pull based on discs or rings of inertia arranged on a rotating axis. The device additionally comprises a grip handle, a transmission element for multiplication of shaft revolutions, and a connecting rope that is jointly connected at one end to a conical transmission drive reel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the development of bodybuilding exercises, two phases of movement can be differentiated: a concentric or positive phase, in which the muscular insertions approach and the movement goes against gravity, so that the muscle shortens or concentrates when contracting , and an eccentric or negative phase, where the muscular insertions are distanced and the movement is generated in favor of gravity, so that the muscle continues to contract, but lengthens.

Although the muscle is contracted in both phases, they are contractions with different effects. The main difference is that in eccentric contraction it is more efficient from the neuromuscular point of view, because this lengthening produces a greater activation of actin-myosin bridges, generating a greater muscular contraction. Also the eccentric contractions are of less metabolic demand and produce a greater hypertrophy, which makes them very effective in gaining muscle. As a drawback, it is worth mentioning that they are very aggressive for muscle and connective tissue, and if done improperly they can cause injuries.

Within the technical field of gymnastic apparatus for muscle development, a plurality of devices are known. For example, PCT international application with publication number W020150191 18 describes a device for providing constant resistance values against displacement. The device comprises a cylinder connected to a cone or a cam or a pulley of variable diameter, which couples and balances the preselected resistance value of one or more elastic means, such as springs; on one side (cylinder side) by the variable torque generated by a constant externally applied force, and on the other side (cone or cam pulley side or variable diameter side), by appropriately varying the defining geometric characteristics torque, including radii, distances, or angles.

European patent application with publication number EP0364954 describes a rowing machine for muscle training that incorporates a planetary or epicyclic gear in conjunction with a disk of inertia to increase the speed of rotation.

On the other hand, small inertial devices are also known. For example, the North American patent with publication number US2009093350 refers to a transportable sports training and rehabilitation system, based on a shooting body consisting of a handle, a motor or inertia discs and a cylindrical coil in which it is collected and releases a rope, which is hooked at its opposite end to a point, which can be a part of the body of the user or another person. This system has two handles or hooking points, making it possible to invert the active end from which the force is exerted. Likewise, document US3841627 discloses a transportable sports training and rehabilitation system consisting of two firing corps, one of them being the one that integrates, in addition to a handle, an inertia disk and a cylindrical coil in which a rope is collected and released, which is hooked at its end opposite the second handle.

However, the currently existing devices comprise inertia elements of high weight and dimensions, which also limit the versatility of said device, not allowing it to adapt to different forces and shooting modalities.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention consists of a compact inertial muscle training device, which basically consists of a shooting body and a transmitting rope or tape, which is jointly connected by one of its ends to the shooting body, while it can join at its opposite end to a fixed point or a fixing element.

The draft body is in turn made up of a rotating main axis, at whose respective ends inertia elements, preferably inertia discs, are jointly coupled. Mounted jointly and coaxially on the main axis there is a reel, on which the rope is wound. In the preferred embodiment of the device, the reel is conical, and at its base of smaller diameter, one end of the rope is joined together. The pull body also incorporates an epicyclic or planetary gear, whose central gear is mounted jointly on the main shaft, with the interposition of a torque limiting clutch.

An external casing surrounds and contains the mentioned elements of the shooting body. Said casing has a grommet-type through opening, through which the rope is collected and deployed when winding and unwinding on the reel, and a coupling element, intended to house a handle for pulling the body for manual actuation by the part. of a user.

The spinning motion of the reel, actuated by the rope, is transferred to the inertia disks through the planetary gear, with a gear ratio that makes that, with a single turn of the reel, the inertia disk rotates “R” turns.

The device is based on the devices known as "flywheel training", of exercise by inertial pulley, but it differs from them thanks to its reduced size and weight, due to the fact that it has internally the gear ratio multiplier of high capacity, of ratio " R ”, which allows to revolutionize the inertia disks R times more than the devices without planetary gear. As a consequence, the apparent moment of inertia of the disks is R ² with respect to what a gearless device would have.

Thus, with very small inertia disks, but rotating at many revolutions, the same inertia is achieved as with the large disks commonly used in current "flywheel training" devices, which represents a great reduction in costs of material, transport and storage.

Said smaller inertia disks also manage to lower the center of mass and volume of the device, allowing to build much lower, lighter and cheaper fixing platforms than the platforms of current devices.

The fact that the rope winding reel is conical has the main advantage that, when starting the rope unwinding, the required pulling force is less, as it begins to unwind from the part with the largest diameter. The resistance that the reel exerts, and therefore the pulling force necessary to unroll the rope, increases progressively, as the radius of the cone decreases. Also, the conical reel facilitates the correct winding of the rope in its collection.

In order for the user to be able to use the device, he must initially sufficiently pre-load the conical reel, winding a quantity of the transmitting rope over it, immobilize said rope by means of a ratchet, and fix the opposite end of the rope, in which an element is located anchor, to a static point against which the opposite shot is to be taken.

The device allows individual use, and shared use. In individual use there are two modes of operation: in the first mode, a single user operates the device through the draft body, the rope being fixed at one end to a static element through the anchor element, so that the pull body grabbed by the user moves and the opposite end of the rope remains fixed. Alternatively, in the second mode, the pull body is held anchored by fixing to a static element in the environment and the user pulls on the free end of the rope by a handle linked to the anchoring element.

In the case of shared use, two users, one operating the pulling body and the other holding the free end of the rope by means of a handle linked to the anchoring element, simultaneously pull the transmitting rope in opposite directions, so that both are divided the efforts as a function of the applied pulling force.

In the case of individual use of the device, and with it already preloaded, the exercise begins with a shooting phase or concentric phase, in which the user pulls the shooting body through the handle by means of a concentric muscular contraction in which your muscle is shortened. The transmitter rope begins to unroll, rotating the conical reel on which it is wound, which in turn rotates the main shaft on which it is jointly mounted. As mentioned above, as said main axis is linked to the central gear of the planetary gear, the inertia element rotates at a number of revolutions "R" times greater than that of the conical reel, with "R" being the reduction ratio.

In this pulling phase, the user makes a physical effort to pull the rope by means of which a progressive acceleration is obtained, both from the movement of the device and an angular acceleration of the inertia discs. Due to this, the inertia discs themselves are loaded with angular momentum, ending this phase when the user reaches the final position of this phase of the exercise, corresponding to the maximum shooting distance.

The next phase of exercise development, known as the intermediate deadlock phase, begins when the drive rope has been fully unwound from the conical reel, which stops spinning. At this point, the inertia discs are fully loaded at their maximum angular velocity, and continue to rotate in the same direction.

The discs, rotating at their maximum speed, drag the planetary gear and this, in turn, the conical reel, which continues to rotate in the same direction. The rope begins to wind over it, starting at the end with the smallest radius, and in the inverse to the previous one, thus beginning the eccentric or collection phase, in which the user must make an eccentric muscular effort to hold the rope so that the reel decelerates and stops at the same point where the exercise began. Thus, the length of rope wound on the reel determines the total exercise distance to be performed.

In the last phase of the exercise or final deadlock phase, the main axis stops, as well as the gear and the reel to which it is jointly linked, the value of the angular speed of the inertia disks being zero. However, the conical reel is sufficiently loaded with rope so that the user can start a new exercise in the pulling or concentric phase, with the exception that the shaft and gear will turn in the opposite direction this time.

In the event that two users make simultaneous use of the device, the same sequence of the four phases mentioned above is maintained, but with the difference that one of them holds one end of the rope through a handle linked to the coupling while the other grips the draft body through the handle, for pulling in the opposite direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description. where, by way of illustration and not limitation, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows a front perspective view of the shooting body and the rope of the inertial device.

Figure 2.- Shows a rear perspective view of the shooting body.

Figure 3.- Shows a detailed view of a cross section made in the shooting body. Figure 4.- Shows a detailed exploded view of the firing body.

Figure 5.- Shows a detailed view of the ratchet for the device rope.

Figure 6.- Shows a view of the device in individual use according to a first option.

Figure 7.- Shows a view of the device in individual use according to a second option.

Figure 8.- Shows a view of the device in shared use.

Figure 9.- Shows a detailed view of a support platform.

Figure 10.- Shows a detailed view of the device in use with a built-in pulley.

Figure 11.- Shows a view of the device in individual use according to a third option.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the object of the present invention is provided below with the aid of the aforementioned figures.

The compact inertial muscle training device described, shown in figure 1, basically consists of a draft body (1) and a transmitting rope (2), which is jointly connected by one of its ends to the draft body (1), from which it is wound and unwound.

The draft body (1), the exploded view of which is illustrated in figure 4, comprises an external casing (3) inside which a main axis (4) rotatable, and of transverse orientation is housed. On said main axis (4) a central gear of a planetary gear (5) is jointly coupled, which in turn comprises external gears or planets. Also, in said main axis (4) an inertia element (6) is jointly coupled, consisting in this case of an inertia disk. In the preferred embodiment described here, the opposite end of the main axis (4) incorporates an additional inertia element (7), consisting of another inertia disc jointly connected by its center to said main axis (4), without interposition of any kind gear or intermediate multiplier element.

Mounted jointly and coaxially on a central sector of the main axis (4), a reel (8) is provided, which in the preferred embodiment described here is a conical reel, which in turn has a smaller diameter sector, to which it is attached jointly one end of the rope (2). This rope (2) is automatically wound and unwound on the reel (8), thereby producing a turn in the main axis (4) on which said reel (8) is jointly and severally mounted.

The inertia element (6) accumulates rotational energy from the rotation of the main axis (4). As the device incorporates the planetary gear (5), the rotational energy transmitted by said main shaft (4) is multiplied in the planetary gear (5) before being transmitted to the inertia element (6), to which it is jointly coupled. Thus, with a small inertia element (6), high values of moment of inertia are achieved thanks to the intermediate action of the planetary gear (5).

In the preferred embodiment described here, the planetary gear (5) used has a transmission ratio of value 13.5, so that one revolution of the reel (8) causes the inertia element (6) to rotate 13.5 revolutions.

The casing (3) for its part comprises a through opening (9) through which the rope (2) passes for its deployment and retraction on the reel (8), as well as a hook (10) projecting from said housing (3) in the vicinity of the through opening (9). The casing (3) also comprises a coupling (11) for temporary connection of the draft body (1) to various external elements. For example, as seen in Figures 1 to 4, a grip handle (12) is temporarily attachable to said coupling (11) for manual actuation of the draft body (1). In the preferred embodiment of the device, the coupling (11) consists of a prominent sector (13) of quadrangular geometry that starts from the casing (3), which has a groove (14) that surrounds the prominent sector (13) perimetrically, intended to house corresponding couplings of the handle (12) or of a fixing element (15) in which it is desired to immobilize the draft body (1), as illustrated in Figure 7.

The device also incorporates a ratchet (16), shown in detail in Figure 5, linkable to the rope (2) for adjusting the length that can be rolled up and unrolled on the reel (8). As seen in the aforementioned figure 5, the ratchet (16) has a through hole (17) for coupling an anchoring element, such as a carabiner, which allows connection with external elements such as a handle (18), shown in figure 8, which allows its grip by a second user. The ratchet (16) also incorporates a hook ring (19).

The incorporation of a pulley (20) to the rope (2) is also envisaged to increase the resistance of the shot, said pulley (20) being especially indicated in the performance of exercises that involve the work of large muscle groups, such as squats or the lifting of weights, without the need to modify the inertial elements (6, 7). For this, the rope (2) must pass through the pulley (20) and return to the pulling body (1), as illustrated in figure 10, so that the ratchet (16) is fixed to it through of a carabiner insertable in the hook (10).

The incorporation of a plurality of additional elements intended to improve and provide functionalities to the device is also contemplated. For example, in the first place, the incorporation of a security element is foreseen to avoid entrapments and return blows at the beginning of the rope collection phase (2). Said element consists, in its preferred embodiment, of a force limiting clutch, made up of a previously calibrated spring and two facing grinding wheels that decouple the main shaft (4) from the central gear of the planetary gear (5), in case of exceeding a previously established value. limit force.

Likewise, the additional incorporation of an externally actionable gear change is foreseen, linked to the central axis (4) and intended to vary the transmission ratio. of the planetary gear (5) to obtain different reduction ratios previously established. Optionally, the inclusion of a remotely actuated brake to block the rotation of the inertia element (6) and, where appropriate, the additional inertia element (7), is also contemplated in the final neutral phase, which allows the user performing additional isometric (static) exercises, thus increasing the versatility of the device.

The possibility of incorporating electronic elements to increase the performance of the device is also contemplated. For example, a revolution counter consisting of an electronic module that detects, by means of a sensor, preferably an optical one, the revolutions and the direction of rotation of the reel (8), to later analyze the working curves and extract parameters such as the caloric consumption made , time, speed, strength, performance, and other parameters. It is also planned to add a wireless transmitter connected to the lap counter to send the data collected by it to a mobile device equipped with a computer application that acts as an operational interface with the user.

The incorporation into the device of different fixing elements of the shooting body (1) is also foreseen, which allow the development of various types of exercises. For example, a support platform (21), shown in Figure 6, provided with hooking elements with the coupling (11), and designed for support of the feet during the execution of exercises such as squats or weightlifting. In its preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figure 9, the platform (21) is foldable and comprises a face with a curved geometry, with a central sector higher than the perimeter edges.

The possibility of incorporating additional inertia discs temporarily linkable to the main shaft (4) by means of screws or similar quick-coupling means is also contemplated.

In figures 6, 7, 8 and 11 the device is polished in different uses, both individual use and shared use, which allow us to appreciate its great versatility, as indicated in the description.

Claims

1. Compact inertial muscle training device comprising:

- a draft body (1), which in turn comprises:

- a rotating main axis (4),

- a reel (8) mounted jointly and coaxially on the main shaft (4),

- an inertia element (6) jointly connected to one end of the main shaft (4) for accumulation of kinetic energy from the rotation of the main shaft (4), and

- a drive rope (2), jointly connected at one end to the reel (8), that can be wound and unwound on said reel (8),

the inertial device being characterized in that it additionally comprises a planetary gear (5) which in turn comprises a central gear jointly connected to the main shaft (4) for multiplication of the transmission speed from the main shaft (4) to the inertia element (6).

2. Inertial device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reel (8) is a conical reel that has a smaller diameter sector to which one end of the rope (2) is jointly connected.

3. Inertial device according to claim 1, characterized in that the draft body (1) additionally comprises an external casing (3), which in turn comprises:

- a through opening (9) for passage of the rope (2), and

- a coupling (11).

4. Inertial device according to claim 3, characterized in that the housing (3) additionally comprises a fixing hook (10).

5. Inertial device according to claim 3 characterized in that the coupling (11) comprises:

- a prominent sector (13) projecting from the casing (3), and

- a groove (14) that surrounds the prominent sector (13) perimetrically.

6. Inertial device according to claim 3 characterized in that it incorporates a handle (12) temporarily insertable in the coupling (11) for gripping the draft body (1).

7. Inertial device according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises a ratchet (16) linkable to the rope (2) to regulate the length of the rope (2) that can be wound and unwound on the reel (8).

8. Inertial device according to claim 7 characterized in that the ratchet (16) comprises

- a through hole (17) for coupling an anchoring element, and

- a hook ring (19) to hold a pulley.

9. Inertial device according to claim 1 characterized in that it incorporates a pulley (20) linkable to the rope (2) to increase the pulling resistance.

10. Inertial device according to claim 3, characterized in that it incorporates a support platform (21) linkable to the coupling (11) for fixing the draft body (1).

11. Inertial device according to claim 10 characterized in that the platform (21) is foldable.

12. Inertial device according to claim 3, characterized in that it additionally comprises a fixing element (15) linkable to the coupling (11) for immobilizing the draft body (1).

13. Inertial device according to claim 1, characterized in that it incorporates a force limiting clutch for decoupling the main shaft (4) from the central gear of the planetary gear (5).

14. Inertial device according to claim 13, characterized in that the force limiting clutch is made up of a previously calibrated spring and grinding wheels facing the main shaft (4).