The present disclosure relates to exercise machines and more particularly to bi-directional exercise machines, for example but not limited to for performing both biceps curl and triceps extension exercise motions.
The following U.S. patents and application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,193 discloses a mechanism which applies exercise resistance to a rotating member in both directions of rotation without a significant “dead zone” surrounding the neutral position. A cam is rotatably mounted to the frame of an exercise machine. A flexible member, which may be a belt, cable, chain or the like, is attached to a peripheral surface of the cam and is loaded by the exercise weights or other source of exercise resistance. The flexible member is guided around a pulley mounted on an arm that is pivotally attached to the cam to maintain the flexible member close to the peripheral surface of the cam. A pair of stops act on the arm to engage the arm for rotation with the cam in one direction and to prevent rotation of the arm with the cam in the opposite direction.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0034304 discloses a weight lifting exercising device having a number of weight plates slidably attached to a frame with a weight guide rod, two cam members pivotally attached to the frame, two cables coupled between the cam members and the weight plates for moving the selected number of the weight plates up and down along the weight guide rod, and an operating device engaged with the cam members for rotating either of the cam members to actuate either of the cables to move the weight plates up and down along the weight guide rod and for allowing the user to lift and to exercise the weight members either by pulling or pushing a force transfer member and for training or exercising the lower or the upper muscle groups of the users.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,480,869 discloses exercise equipment having a weight stack configured to oppose a given exercise motion through a cable and pulley system and an elongated connector connecting the cable to a weight stack. The elongated connector comprises a first threaded portion located proximate to the weight stack and a second portion located distal from the weight stack. The first threaded portion is engaged with the weight stack and has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the second portion such that an operator can visually determine whether the connector is fully engaged with a threaded receptacle in the weight stack.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described herein below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A bi-directional exercise machine has a work arm, first and second cams coupled to the work arm, a resistance mechanism, and a pulley assembly that couples the resistance mechanism to the work arm via the first and second cams, in particular so that movement of the work arm is resisted by the resistance mechanism according to first and second resistance profiles provided by the first and second cams, respectfully. The pulley assembly has a primary pulley cable having a first end coupled to the first cam and a second end coupled to the second cam. When the work arm is in a rest position, the first and second ends of the primary pulley cable both extend at a tangent from cable tracks of the first and second cams, respectively, in particular so that the resistance mechanism applies a resistance force on the work arm via the pulley assembly immediately upon movement of the work arm out of the rest position.
Various other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The present disclosure includes the following Figures.
The present disclosure is a result of the present inventors' research and development regarding bi-directional exercise machines that facilitate for example but not limited to biceps curl and triceps extension exercises. Conventional exercise machines for facilitating bi-directional motion often utilize the cam mechanism disclosed in the above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,193. This mechanism, while effective at mitigating “dead zones” surrounding the neutral position of the device, does not permit the resistance profile of one side of the cam to be defined completely independent of the resistance profile of the other side of the cam. The term “dead zones” is defined in the above-incorporated patent as a substantial range of motion of the cam about the neutral position in which the pulley cable is not in contact with the cam surface and thus the profile of the cam surface has no effect on the amount of the exercise resistance within this range of motion. This “dead zone” thus detracts from the effectiveness of the exercise. The present inventors identified this drawback in the prior art and presently endeavored to provide an improved exercise machine that mitigates the “dead zones” surrounding the neutral position of the device, while also facilitating bi-directional resistance with the freedom to shape both resistance profiles to any desired target, independent of one another. The embodiments shown and described herein below are novel and non-obvious improvements that overcome these deficiencies in the prior art.
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First and second cams 90, 92 are disposed on the driven shaft 69. The first and second cams 90, 92 have center holes 94, 96, respectively, through which the driven shaft 69 extends, in particular such that the driven shaft 69 is rotatable relative to the first and second cams 90, 92 and thus relative to the pivot axis 67. An actuator plate 98 is keyed to the driven shaft 69 by a key 100 such that rotation of the driven shaft 69 about the pivot axis 67 causes rotation of the actuator plate 98 about the pivot axis 67. The actuator plate 98 is located axially between the first and second cams 90, 92. As further described herein below, the actuator plate 98 is engaged with the first and second cams 90, 92 and configured to cause rotation of the first and second cams 90, 92 about the pivot axis 67 depending upon whether the user is performing the biceps curl exercise motion or the triceps extension exercise motion. The actuator plate 98 has an arcuate slot 102 with a first slot end 104 and an opposite second slot end 106. The first and second cams 90, 92 have engagement fingers 108, 110 which axially extend into opposite ends of the arcuate slot 102.
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It will thus be understood that rotation of the driven shaft 69 rotates the actuator plate 98, which in turn selectively engages and rotates the first and second cams 90, 92, respectively. Movement of the work arm 62 in the first direction 112 rotates the driven shaft 69, which in turn rotates the first cam 90. Movement of the work arm 62 in the second direction 114 oppositely rotates the driven shaft 69, which in turn oppositely rotates the second cam 92. Moving the work arm 62 in the first direction 112 rotates the first cam 90 but not the second cam 92. Moving the work arm 62 in the second direction 114 rotates the second cam 92 but not the first cam 90.
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It will thus be understood that the present disclosure thus provides embodiments of a bi-directional exercise machine comprising: a stationary frame; a resistance mechanism; a work arm coupled to the stationary frame, the work arm being movable in a first direction for performance of a first exercise motion and alternately being movable in an opposite, second direction for performance of a second exercise motion; a first cam having a cable track providing a first resistance profile for the first exercise motion and a second cam having a cable track providing a same or different, second resistance profile for the second exercise motion, wherein movement of the work arm in the first direction rotates the first cam and alternately wherein movement of the work arm in the second direction rotates the second cam; and a pulley assembly that couples the work arm to the resistance mechanism via the first and second cams, so that movement of the work arm is resisted by the resistance mechanism according to the first and second resistance profiles provided by the first and second cams. The pulley assembly comprises a primary pulley cable having a first end coupled to the first cam and a second end coupled to the second cam, and wherein when the work arm is in a rest position the first and second ends of the primary pulley cable both extend at a tangent from the cable tracks of the first and second cams, respectively, in particular so that the resistance mechanism applies a resistance force on the work arm via the pulley assembly immediately upon movement of the work arm out of the rest position.
In certain examples, the pulley assembly comprises a floating pulley device and a secondary pulley cable extending through the floating pulley device. The secondary pulley cable has a first end coupled to the stationary frame and a second end coupled to the resistance member. The floating pulley device comprises a primary pulley wheel around which the primary pulley cable extends and a secondary pulley wheel around which the secondary pulley cable extends. The first and second cams rotate about a common axis and wherein the primary pulley wheel is centered relative to the first and second cams such that the first and second ends of the primary pulley cable extend at fleet angle from the primary pulley wheel to the first and second cams, respectively.
In certain examples, moving the work arm in the first direction rotates the first cam but not the second cam and wherein moving the work arm in the second direction rotates the second cam but not the first cam. A driven shaft extends from the work arm, wherein movement of the work arm in the first direction rotates the driven shaft which in turn rotates the first cam, and wherein movement of the work arm in the second direction oppositely rotates the driven shaft which in turn oppositely rotates the second cam. An actuator plate disposed between the first and second cams, wherein rotation of the driven shaft rotates the actuator plate which in turn selectively engages and rotates the first and second cams, respectively. The actuator plate comprises an arcuate slot having a first slot end and an opposite second slot end, and wherein the first and second cams each has an engagement finger extending into the arcuate slot, wherein the arcuate slot and engagement fingers are configured such that moving the work arm in the first direction causes the first slot end to engage the engagement finger of the first cam and thus rotates the first cam, and such that moving the work arm in the second direction causes the second slot end to engage the engagement finger of the second cam and thus rotate the second cam.
The work arm is positionable into a bicep curl position in which moving of the work arm performs a bicep curl exercise motion and alternately into a triceps extension position in which moving of the work arm performs a triceps extension exercise motion. A selector mechanism is manually operable to position the work arm in the bicep curl position and alternately in the triceps extension position. The selector mechanism comprises an engagement plate on the stationary frame, the engagement plate having a first aperture for the bicep curl position and a second aperture for the triceps extension position, and further comprises a spring-loaded selector pin on the work arm for engaging with the first aperture and alternately the second aperture.
As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” and “significantly” will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent on the context in which they are used. If there are uses of these terms which are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art given the context in which they are used, “about” and “approximately” will mean plus or minus <10% of the particular term and “substantially” and “significantly” will mean plus or minus >10% of the particular term.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be inferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have features or structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent features or structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/148,282, filed Jan. 13, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20230181960 A1 | Jun 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17148282 | Jan 2021 | US |
Child | 18106295 | US |