Patent Application
20090137370
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment, and in particular to exercise equipment that allows the user to gain both muscle development and cardiovascular benefit by simulating the actions of wall scaling and rope climbing and providing other continuous motion resistance exercises through use of a looped—hence endless—cord.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The desire to improve physical fitness remains a widespread goal in contemporary society, and individuals are constantly seeking new means to build strength and cardiovascular endurance. Exercise machines often attempt to provide a simulated version of popular outdoor exercises such as treadmills for walking and running, stationary bicycles for bicycling, skiing machines for cross country skiing. Alternately, some exercise machines have taken ordinary body motions not traditionally considered exercise activities (stair climbing machines, for example) and transformed them into popular exercise routines. More recently, exercise machines have been created to simulate popular outdoor exercise activities (rock climbing), or have brought renewed interest to sports that had declined in popularity (rope climbing). The exercise machines do not provide users with the same experience as the outdoor exercises, but generally make those exercises more convenient and accessible in that the machines do not require large spaces, do not depend on the weather, and can be availed by users of widely varying abilities.
The present invention is for an endless cord exercise machine that provides the user with a variety of ways to build strength and cardiovascular endurance through the act of pulling on the cord. In one of its preferred embodiments the user performs an act that simulates scaling a wall with the assistance of a rope, such as is part of military training. Although there are exercise machines that simulate rope climbing (see below), vertical stair and ladder climbing (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,029, U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,475, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,422), mountainous hiking (U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,952, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,667), and rock wall climbing (U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,877, U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,836, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,117) there is not an exercise machine to simulate wall scaling with the assistance of a rope. For example, the present machine allows a user to walk up an inclined plane with the user's body oriented substantially parallel to the ground. In other embodiments the machine simulates the act of rope climbing.
Rope climbing, or the act of pulling one's body up a rope, provides excellent muscle strength development of the forearm, biceps, triceps, as well as pulling and grip strength. However, as a regular exercise method, traditional rope climbing has a number of limitations for both novice and advanced athletes. The rope must be suspended above the user, and the height of the climb is limited by the height at which the rope is fixed, meaning it can only be attempted in environments with unusually high ceilings or a very tall support structure. For the beginner, traditional rope climbing requires that individuals already have sufficient strength to support their own body weight. Advanced climbers have few options to increase the resistance provided by their own body weight. The height of the rope exposes the users to the dangers of falls, or serious rope burns from a too-rapid descent. The same disadvantages apply to wall scaling with the assistance of a rope in the real world, which requires a tall wall with a rope attached to the top.
Although there are no other exercise machines that simulate the act of wall scaling with the assistance of a rope, there are a number of other machines that simulate rope climbing or mimic the health benefits of rope climbing, and they overcome some of the disadvantages of climbing a hanging rope. These machines provide an endlessly high rope for the user to climb, limited only by the user's ability and stamina, rather than by the physical constraints of ceiling height or rope length. As compared to other upper body exercise machines, the benefit of continuous cord machines is that they only offer resistance according to the user's pull. Thus continuous cord exercise machines eliminate the problem of lifting more weight than the user is able to safely return to its resting position, an issue that often results in muscle strains and injuries. The machines also eliminate any possibility of dropped weights, which can also lead to injury. As these machines have been refined, they have become popular equipment in many gyms.
However, the existing rope climbing or endless rope exercise machines also suffer from a number of drawbacks that the present invention overcomes. These include size and complexity of the machine, flexibility of the mechanism and equipment configuration, ease and cost of manufacture, and robustness and serviceability of the equipment. In a machine of this sort, there is a need to keep the rope in the proper track, and most machines do this by stretching the rope between two or more pulleys or wheels. The extra wheels can get in the way of the user (U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,234, U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,974), or require a large amount of space to operate the machine (U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,938, U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,574). Resistance is most often applied by friction from a pad or belt (U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,234, U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,974, U.S. Pat. No. 641,519), which is simple but does not provide a smooth or natural resistance. More complex resistance means include hydraulics (U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,323), hanging counterweights (U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,991), a motor (U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,360), or a combination of elements (U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,938).
The drawbacks of these more sophisticated machines are that they take up more space, are expensive to manufacture, have more parts to maintain and service, and are therefore less reliable, more complicated to use, and less suited for the tight spaces in today's gyms or for home use. As will become clear from the subsequent description, the present invention overcomes these disadvantages in the form of a machine that is small, simple, and elegant in design, inexpensive to manufacture, maintain, and use, and provides the muscular benefits of rope climbing.
The present invention uses rotary viscous dampers for resistance. Rotary viscous dampers are an ideal source of resistance in an exercise machine, because resistance is variable depending on speed. Thus, the faster the user rotates the resistance mechanism, the harder the resistance is applied. Although previous exercise equipment inventions (U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,511, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,807, U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,372) have made use of single rotary dampers for resistance, none have combined multiple dampers of differing viscosities to achieve a variety of resistance levels. This resistance mechanism using multiple rotary dampers is flexible, robust, and will not wear out. In addition, the resistance mechanism of the invention could be used for other exercise machine applications, or in situations where adjustable resistance is required. Rotary dampers are used widely in aerospace for aircraft flight controls and satellite solar panels, as well as in industrial application to control heavy doors and lifts. For example, the damper mechanism of this invention could be used to control a lift that bears varying weights.
The use of multiple rotary viscous dampers for resistance requires a unique mechanism to provide adjustment means. The invention uses a spring loaded key mechanism to select the desired resistance level. The key allows the user to engage varying combinations of the multiple dampers by simply pushing the selector mechanism handle against the spring and rotating it to one of the fixed positions. Although the key assembly is loaded with a large spring, the mechanism includes multiple floating keys, each loaded with its own smaller spring, making the assembly simpler to manufacturer, easier for the user to engage, and more effective and robust in function.
The preferred embodiment of the invention that acts as a wall-scaling simulator machine uses an inclined movable belt mechanism such as a treadmill, as well as a looped cord, both of which are linked to the resistance mechanism. Inclined treadmills are disclosed in the prior art, including many in which the slope adjusts during the workout (U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,914, U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,912). Combining the inclined movable belt mechanism with a looped rope for pulling allows the belt mechanism to be much more steeply inclined—as much as ninety degrees—to simulate the act of scaling a wall with the assistance of a rope. This combination of a rope-pulling machine and inclined movable belt that allows a steep or vertical ascent or descent on the belt while the user's body is substantially horizontal with the ground, is unique in the art. It provides an endless wall for the user to scale, it's height limited only by the user's ability.
The present invention is a unique type of endless cord exercise machine that overcomes the above-described deficiencies in the art in a design that is both simple and elegant. In one preferred embodiment the invention acts as both a wall-scaling simulator exercise machine and a rope-climbing simulator exercise machine. A horizontal frame rests on the floor and supports a vertical frame that extends upward to a height above that of an average human. A movable belt assembly such as a treadmill extends upward from the floor along the vertical frame, and is attached to the frame. At the top of the movable belt assembly and on the other side of the vertical frame is mounted a resistance mechanism, comprising a drum assembly containing rotary viscous damp ers. A drive belt connects the movable belt to the drum by means of gears mounted to an upper movable belt roller and to the drum assembly.
A cord is formed into a single continuous loop and then wrapped several times tightly around the drum to exert a chokehold on the drum. The outer surface of the drum is covered with a rubberized or pliable material so that the cord grasps the drum tightly. The remaining looped portion of the cord is threaded upward over a set of pulleys that are attached to the top of the vertical frame. The remaining portion of the cord hangs down freely from the drum at a length so that the user can easily and firmly grasp it. Cylindrical bearings mounted to a fork that holds the drum onto the frame of the exercise machine facilitate the smooth movement of the cord as it comes off of, and is taken up by, the drum, and prevents the cord from tangling against itself.
Inside the drum are a series of rotary viscous dampers, each with a different viscosity and hence a different resistance rating. A spring-loaded adjustment mechanism acting as a key passes through the hub of the drum and center axis of the rotary viscous dampers, allowing the user to engage any combination of the rotary viscous dampers to achieve a desired level of resistance on the drum. Using multiple rotary dampers of differing viscosities together creates a variable resistance mechanism at a fraction of the cost of adjustable resistance rotary viscous dampers currently on the market. When the user pushes the adjustment key mechanism in against its spring, it is able to rotate freely. Individual setting points are located evenly around the circumference of the key mechanism. Each setting engages a different combination of dampers by forcing bearings housed inside the key to either engage with or not engage with the dampers. Releasing the adjustment mechanism locks it into place. The adjustment mechanism of this invention could be used in any application where multiple resistance mechanisms are used to achieve adjustable rotary resistance.
To operate the machine the user first selects a resistance level as described above, and then pulls on the cord, causing the cord to grasp the drum tightly and begin to rotate against its resistance. Using the rope as leverage, the user can then swing the user's legs up onto the movable belt. The user's legs will thus be roughly parallel to the ground. As the user pulls on the rope and walks up the movable belt, the resistance mechanism is rotated. As cord comes off the drum on one side, it is taken up by drum on the other side. The resistance mechanism is bidirectional, enabling the user to simulate the act of scaling the wall, or the act of descending the wall. The rope and the movable belt move in sync with one another.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is a bench in place of the movable belt assembly, and the machine acts as a rope-climbing simulator or simply a cord-pulling exercise machine. In various other embodiments of the invention, the drum can be positioned so that the user is below it and pulling down on the cord, mimicking the action of climbing a rope. Alternately, the drum can be positioned so that the user is pulling the cord in a direction parallel to the ground, or at an angle up from the ground, to work a variety of upper body muscles. In one embodiment of the invention the user is seated on a sliding seat, and can also gain exercise benefit for lower body muscles.
It is an object of this invention to provide an endless cord exercise machine that is simple to use, yet allows the user to perform a wide variety of exercises.
It is another object of this invention to provide a wall-scaling simulator exercise machine that combines an inclined movable belt assembly with an overhead cord that are both attached to a resistance mechanism.
It is another object of this invention to provide a resistance mechanism for exercise equipment or other applications that is adjustable, provides a smooth continuous resistance, is variable depending on the speed of rotation caused by the user, and will not wear out.
It is another object of this invention to provide an endless cord exercise machine that is compact and lightweight enough for home use or for use in small gym spaces, yet is robust enough for regular use with very little maintenance.
It is another object of this invention to provide an endless cord exercise machine that can be produced inexpensively.
It is another object of this invention to provide an endless cord exercise machine with very few moving parts in order to minimize the cost of manufacture, and reduce wear and tear on the machine, thereby lessening maintenance costs.
Referring now to
The vertical support member 32 supports an inclined movable belt assembly 21, on which the user walks, as well as a set of pulleys 142, through which is threaded a cord 48 that is attached to a resistance mechanism 50. In a preferred embodiment the resistance mechanism is a rotating drum assembly 50. The movable belt assembly 21 is mounted to a vertical movable belt support frame 38 that extends upward from the horizontal base member 30 along the vertical support member 32. The sides of the movable belt support frame 38 extend above the movable belt assembly 21, and then curve back towards the vertical support member 32, where they are attached to it by means of a horizontal drum support member 37 (more clearly visible in FIG. 1B). The right side of the movable belt support frame 38 extends past the vertical support member 32 to support the handle end of an adjustment key assembly 78 (described below). Extending out from the horizontal drum support member 37 is a fork member 40 that supports the rotating drum assembly 50.
The frame 20 may be made from any material strong enough to withstand the forces exerted by the user when exercising on the machine. Steel tubing is a preferred material because it is strong, relatively inexpensive, and easy to work with. Examples of other materials are alloys, composites, aluminum, carbon fiber, plastic or reinforced fiberglass. The individual support members 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40 described above that comprise frame 20 may be attached by any means sufficient to establish a strong enough connection to withstand the forces exerted by the user on the exercise machine. These include one or a combination of methods such as welding, attaching with plates and screws or bolts, or fitting the pieces together with male and female joints as would be familiar to one skilled in the art. Welding the joints provides the strongest connection, however this requires the frame 20 to be transported in one piece.
The frame 20 described above is one of the preferred embodiments of the exercise machine, however many other frame constructions are possible, some of which will be described below as additional preferred embodiments. In addition, a version of the exercise machine can be made using only the fork member 40 as a frame. To use the machine, the fork member 40 must then be mounted to another structure, such as a wall, ceiling, doorframe, or other structure to provide support. The user may then pull on the cord 48 against the resistance provided by the rotating drum assembly 50 to achieve the desired physical exercise.
In a preferred embodiment the movable belt assembly 21 may be a common treadmill apparatus as is well known in the art of exercise equipment. The movable belt assembly 21 includes a movable belt 23 that is stretched between two belt rollers 29, the ends of which are attached to the movable belt support frame 38 so that they may rotate freely. When the belt rollers 29 turn, the movable belt 23 moves over a movable belt deck 33 (obscured in the drawing by the movable belt 23, but a standard component of any treadmill) that covers the area between the supports of the movable belt support frame 38 and provides support for the movable belt 23.
If it is possible to incline the movable belt 23 at any deemed desirable, by simply altering the slope of the vertical support member 32 and the other frame 20 elements that it supports. Alternately, the slope of the movable belt assembly 21 may be made adjustable, in which case the frame design must also be modified accordingly.
Covering the horizontal support members 34 at the bottom of the movable belt assembly 21 is a safety mat 31, ideally comprised of high-density foam, rubber, or another cushioning material, to protect against accidental falls from the inclined movable belt 23. Optionally, a tread gear release switch (not shown) may be installed, allowing the user to disengage the movable belt 23, and use the machine as a cord-pulling exerciser only.
The rotating drum assembly 50 provides resistance for the exercise machine 10. A looped cord 48 is wrapped several times around the drum assembly 50. The cord 48 may be a braided rope, or a wire or chain covered in a rubberized material, or any other suitable material of sufficient strength and flexibility and with a thickness comfortable for a user to grasp. The two ends of the cord 48 must be joined together, forming a loop. The preferred embodiment uses a rope, joined together by inserting one end of the rope into the fibers of the other end, and weaving the exposed strands together, however any suitable means may be used. In a preferred embodiment, the cord 48 is looped tightly around the drum 54 (visible in
A drum cover 42, preferably made of plastic or other durable, lightweight material, encases the top half of the drum assembly 50. The drum cover 42 is primarily for aesthetic purposes, but in some circumstances can prevent the cord 48 from riding up on itself. While the preferred embodiment of the invention uses the rotating drum assembly 50 as the resistance mechanism, any resistance mechanism, manual or motorized may be used. For example, a simple drum with an adjustable disk brake, or an electric motor with sufficient torque may be used as the resistance mechanism.
Both ends of the looped cord 48 come off the drum assembly 50 and are looped over four free-spinning cord support pulleys 142, attached with pulley axles 144 to a pulley support member 146 mounted at the top of the vertical support member 32. The strand of cord 48 coming off the back of the drum assembly 50 loops upward over the top two cord support pulleys 142, while the strand of cord 48 coming off the front of the drum extends in between the bottom two cord support pulleys 142 and the top two cord support pulleys 142. The looped end of cord 48 then hangs down from the cord support pulleys 142 to a point below the top of the movable belt assembly 21.
A drum gear 55 that is part of a drum gear connector assembly 57 (visible in greater detail in
Referring now to
Three rotary viscous dampers 60 are arranged serially along a single center axis, and housed inside the drum 54. They provide the resistance for the exercise machine. The rotary viscous dampers 60 will ideally be of the types that rotate in both directions, such as the Enidine VSG available from Enidine, Inc. located in Orchard Park, N.Y. 14127. The inside circumferential profile of the drum 54 ideally matches the outer circumferential profile of the rotary viscous dampers 60 and the connector pipes 56, in order to hold the dampers and pipes firmly in place. Two of the connector pipes 56 actually pass through holes in the rotary viscous dampers 60 located near their outer edges, as well as through damper spacers 62 that keep the dampers evenly spaced within the drum 54, further binding the rotating portion of the damper with the drum 54. Each damper has a damper engagement notch 64 in its center hole that allows it to be engaged by key bearings 72 in an adjustment assembly 78 (discussed below). On many dampers, the engagement notches 64 are plastic and rectangular. Therefore metal inserts with convex hemisperhical surfaces (not shown) optionally may be added to the damper engagement notches 64 to achieve a better fit between the key bearings 72 and the damper engagement notches 64.
Ideally each damper 60 will be rated at a different viscosity so that the dampers can be engaged in varying combinations to provide different levels of resistance. For example, an ideal embodiment of the invention will employ a first damper with a rating of 100,000 centistokes (cSt., the standard measure for kinematic viscosity), a second damper with a rating of 300,000 cSt., and a third damper with a rating of 600,000 cSt. This will allow for eight different resistance settings: 1) engaging none of dampers will add no viscous resistance to the rotation of the drum assembly on its own; 2) engaging the first damper alone will provide 100,000 cSt. of viscosity; 3) engaging the second damper alone will provide 300,000 cSt. of viscosity; 4) engaging the first and second dampers together will provide 400,000 cSt. of viscosity; 5) engaging the third damper alone will provide 600,000 cSt. of viscosity; 6) engaging the first and third dampers together will provide 700,000 cSt. of viscosity; 7) engaging the second and third dampers together will provide 900,000 cSt. of viscosity; and 8) engaging all three dampers together will provide 1,000,000 cSt. of viscosity. The actual resistance rating of each damper could be varied to provide a different set of eight resistance levels. Although any number of dampers may be used to achieve a variety of resistance levels, three rotary viscous dampers is an ideal number because using two dampers will allow only for four different resistance levels, and using more than three dampers would require a larger drum, and offer more resistance levels than is practically necessary.
The benefits of using multiple rotary viscous dampers in combination to achieve multiple resistance levels are considerable. Although adjustable resistance rotary viscous dampers are available for sale from various manufacturers, they are very expensive at the viscosities required by the exercise machine—as much as ten times the cost of purchasing multiple dampers to achieve a similar level of adjustability. Thus, arranging multiple rotary viscous dampers serially along a center axis to create a rotating drum assembly with variable resistance offers a considerable innovation in the ability to manufacture high quality exercise equipment at a lower cost. The rotating drum assembly 50 of this invention could be used with other exercise machines as well, such as an exercise bicycle or weight machines. Rotary dampers are also used widely in aerospace for aircraft flight controls and satellite solar panels, as well as in industrial applications to control heavy doors and lifts. For example, the damper mechanism of this invention could be used to help control the movement of a lift that bears varying weights.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustment mechanism is an adjustment key assembly 78, comprised of an adjustment key mechanism 80 housed in an adjustment key shaft 82, and sprung by a shaft spring 92. The adjustment key assembly 78 extends through the hole in the center of the drum assembly 50, passing through the end plates 52, the drum gear connector assembly 57, the drum bushing 66, and the center axis of the rotary viscous dampers 60. The adjustment key shaft 82 is connected with fork pins 84 to the fork member 40 as well as to the extending portion of the movable belt support frame 38.
Referring now to
Above the last floating key mechanism on the key assembly rod 86 is a cylindrical selector ring 110 that has one circumferential channel 112 around its outer surface such that it appears to have a cap on its top. The selector ring 110 also has lateral channels 114 on its outer surface, one corresponding to each resistance selection, spaced evenly around the selector ring 110, and extending from the bottom of the ring up to the circumferential channel 112. A snap ring 102 and rod groove 104 hold the selector ring in place. A nylon rod spacer 116 fits on the key assembly rod 86 above the snap ring 102 that secures the selector ring 110.
The adjustment key mechanism 80 also encompasses an adjuster knob assembly 90. The adjuster knob assembly 90 screws into the top of the key assembly rod 86. The adjuster knob assembly 90 is comprised of three pieces that can best be seen in
Thus, to summarize in order from bottom to top, the parts attached to the key assembly rod 86 of the preferred embodiment described here are three floating key mechanisms 89, each made up of a snap ring 102 followed by a washer 100, an adjustment key spring 94, an adjustment key 88, a second snap ring 102. On top of the third floating key mechanism rests a selector ring 110, another snap ring 102, the rod spacer 116, and finally the adjuster knob assembly 90.
The selector ring 110 as well as each key 88 are able to slide laterally along the key assembly rod 86, but are prevented from rotating circumferentially around the rod 86. The selector ring 110 and keys 88 have lateral hub channels 106 that run the length of their hubs. At each point along the key assembly rod 86 where a key 88 or the selector ring 10 fits, a small rod depression 98 has been machined into the rod 86. There is a single rod depression 98 corresponding to each key 88 and selector ring 110. One hemisphere of a small rod bearing 96 rests in each of the small depressions 98. The other hemisphere of the rod bearings 96 rides in the key or selector ring lateral hub channels 106. This allows the keys 88 and the selector ring 110 to move along the length of the key assembly rod 86, but not to rotate around the key assembly rod 86.
The keys 88 are fashioned in the general shape of a tapered cylinder, with the larger part of the taper on the bottom and the narrower part on the top. Each key is marked with eight positions, spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the key. In the preferred embodiment, each key has eight positions. Each position either has a lateral key depression 76 machined into the larger part of the taper, or no depression. A depression indicates that the corresponding rotary viscous damper 60 will not be engaged. No depression indicates that the corresponding rotary viscous damper 60 will be engaged.
The adjustment key mechanism 80, thus described, is loaded into the adjustment key shaft 82 with a shaft spring 92 at the bottom end of the shaft 82 that loads the adjustment key mechanism 80. The strength of the shaft spring 92 must be greater than the combined strength of the adjustment key springs 94. Pressure may be applied on the adjustment key mechanism 80 to push it into the adjustment key shaft 82, which compresses the large spring. The spring will then exert pressure to push the adjustment key mechanism 80 out of the adjustment key shaft. A selector locking pin 124 (visible only in
When the adjustment key mechanism 80 is in its resting position, i.e., pushed to its outermost position by the shaft spring 92, the selector locking pin 124 sits in one of the selector ring lateral channels 114 and the adjustment key mechanism 80 cannot be rotated circumferentially. This position corresponds to one of the eight possible resistance adjustments that the three dampers 60 of the preferred embodiment allow. An alternate position may be selected by pushing the adjustment key mechanism 80 against the shaft spring 92, which causes the selector locking pin 124 to align with the selector ring circumferential channel 112. At that point, the adjustment key mechanism 80 may be rotated to select an alternate selector ring lateral channel 114, thereby selecting an alternate damper resistance adjustment. When the user releases the compression pressure on the shaft spring 92, the spring pushes the adjustment key mechanism 80 back out, locking it into the newly selected selector ring lateral channel 114 and preventing additional circumferential rotation of the mechanism.
The above-described adjustment motion causes the floating key mechanisms 89 to engage with the rotary dampers 60 in the following manner:
The adjustment key shaft 82 has an adjustment key shaft bearing hole 74 (visible only in
It is to be understood that the drum assembly 50, endless cord 48, and adjustment key assembly 78 described above are attached identically to the fork member 40, and operate identically in all embodiments of the invention, and reference to the above description should be made to understand the operation of each of the preferred embodiments described in this description.
The benefits enabled by the present machine are many. The endless cord exercise machine that allows the user to simulate the act of scaling a wall with the assistance of a cord introduces a new, fun, and physically challenging experience to the gym. Rope-climbing simulator machines have been growing in popularity, and this machine builds on that success, while also adding a lower-body conditioning element to the exercise. Wall scaling with a cord not only builds strength, but also develops balance and agility. The military continues to use wall-scaling exercises in its training, and a machine of this type could help the military to intensify the use of such training in a much smaller space. The machine allows the user to build the same kinds of physical skills as real wall scaling, but presents the user with an “infinite wall,” not limited by the constraints of the physical wall height at a training location.
Second, as employed in the present invention the combination of an endless cord and movable belt with rotary viscous dampers provides the user with a continuous resistance for upper body muscle development. Although there are many examples of continuous motion exercise machines for lower body development, such as exercise bicycles and treadmills, there are very few for upper body development. In the present invention, pulling on the cord provides the user with continuous muscle resistance in one direction and no stored energy is created. This is very different from the typical universal weight machine used for upper body conditioning, where the muscle must be flexed to lift the weight, and then flexed in the opposite direction to return the weight to its resting position. The endless cord exercise machine requires no such opposite return motion. The result is a sustained focus on one specific muscle group at a time.
In addition, rotary viscous dampers provide passive feedback. They automatically match the force exerted by the user and no resistance is required to disengage the mechanism. The user simply stops the pulling action. Many of the injuries sustained by users on typical weight resistance exercise machines occur when the weight is being released, either because too much strain is exerted on the muscle and connecting tissues, or because the weight mechanism itself is too-quickly released in a dangerous manner. With rotary viscous dampers, there is no weight to release. Rather, the user must exert force in the opposite direction to return the mechanism to its original position. Thus, the present invention does not suffer from the drawbacks of resistance mechanism that do not use passive feedback, thus providing the user with a superior exercise experience.
Furthermore, in addition to the adjustable resistance settings created by using multiple dampers together, the physical properties of rotary viscous dampers are such that the resistance varies by speed of rotation. The faster the user pulls on the cord and rotates the drum, the greater the resistance the user will encounter. This means that as a user's muscles are strengthened, the user may increase pulling speed to increase the amount of resistance.
Using the machine is very simple. In any embodiment of the machine, first the user selects the desired resistance setting by pushing in on the adjustment key mechanism 80 and rotating it to the desired resistance setting. The user then stands on the safety pad 31 facing and just in front of the movable belt assembly 21. The user grasps the portion of the cord 48 that is coming off the two upper pulley wheels 142, and beings to pull the cord 48 in a hand over hand motion. Pulling the cord 48 rotates the resistance mechanism 50, which in turn rotates the movable belt 23. Grasping the cord 48 while leaning back and continuing to pull, the user then begins walking up the movable belt 23. If the user's body descends to the safety mat 31 before the user is walking on the movable belt 23, then the resistance mechanism 50 must be set to a higher resistance level. If the user is unable to advance the cord 48 as quickly as desired, then the resistance mechanism 50 must be set to a lower resistance level. The resistance and speed at which the user pulls determines the type of muscle and cardiovascular benefit the user gains. This method of use provides an exercise experience and benefit similar to that of scaling a wall with the assistance of a rope, without the disadvantages of having a rope or wall of limited length or the dangers of falling from a height or receiving a harsh rope burn.
The user may also use the exercise machine to simulate descending a wall, by pulling the cord 48 from the section that comes off the two lower pulley wheels 142. This will cause the rotating drum assembly 50 and the movable belt 23 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the user can walk backwards down the movable belt 23. However, in this case the user's arms will continue to pull in the downward direction as when the user is simulating an ascent of the wall.
Various other cord-pulling exercises may be performed on the machine without making use of the movable belt 23. For instance, the user may stand facing the movable belt assembly 21 with hands raised above the head and pull the cord 48 overhead in a front to back direction. The user may also turn facing away from the movable belt assembly 21, and pull the cord 48 overhead in a back to front direction. Alternatively, a tread gear release switch (not shown) may be installed, allowing the user to disengage the movable belt 23 and then brace the user's legs against the disengaged movable belt 23 and engage in cord-pulling exercises only. This latter position provides an exercise experience and benefit similar to that of rope climbing, without the disadvantages of having a rope of limited length or the dangers of falling from a height or receiving a harsh rope burn.
While the primary embodiment of the invention is for a wall-scaling simulator, removing the movable belt assembly 21 and arranging the resistance mechanism 50 and frame 20 in alternate positions allows for a number of additional embodiments (shown in
To use the machine, first the user selects the desired resistance setting by pushing in on the adjustment key mechanism 80 and rotating it to the desired resistance setting. The user then sits on the bench 22 with legs straddling the vertical support member 32 and feet resting on the foot rests 26. The user then reaches up and pulls down on the portion of the cord 48 that hangs down from the cord support pulleys 142 in a hand-over-hand motion. If the resistance of the rotating drum assembly 50 is set high enough relative to the weight of the user, then the user can pull the user's body off the bench 22, and experience the feeling and benefit of true rope climbing. The cord 48 can only be pulled in one direction. However, for an alternate exercise the user may also sit on the bench facing either toward or away from the vertical support member 32 with arms above the head and pull the cord 48 in hand-over-hand motion. The resistance and speed at which the user pulls determines the type of upper body muscle and cardiovascular benefit the user gains. This embodiment is especially well suited for elderly or disabled users, but can be used by anyone, and is also the version that most closely replicates actual rope climbing, since the cord is pulled straight down from overhead.
Referring now to
Described in its upright position (
Mounted to the horizontal base member 30 of the frame is a first bench 22 on which the user can sit or recline when the frame 20 is oriented in its upright position as shown in
As with other embodiments of the exercise machine, first the user selects the desired resistance setting by pushing in on the adjustment key mechanism 80 and rotating it to the desired resistance setting. When the machine is in its upward position as shown in
The machine offers alternate exercise options when it is oriented in its downward position as depicted in
In another preferred embodiment as shown in
A sliding bench 150 glides on bench wheels 154 surrounding the bench track 156. The sliding bench 150 moves along bench track 156 up and down the top surface of the vertical support member 32. A track bumper 158 located at either end of the bench track 156 limits the movement of the sliding bench 150 along the vertical support member 32. U-shaped fork members 40 are positioned at both ends of the vertical support member 32 and a rotating drum assembly 50, around which is wrapped an endless cord 48, is fastened to each fork member 40 in the same manner as for embodiments described above. Footrests 26 are attached to either side of the fork member 40 that holds the lower rotating drum assembly 50.
The embodiment of the invention shown in
The second method for operating the embodiment shown in
Adjusting the angle of the vertical support member 32 using the male and female adjustment support members 170 and 172 and the frame adjustment pin 174 changes the dynamics of the weight resistance. The steeper the angle, the more force the user must exert to rotate the lower drum assembly 50, or the faster the user must pull against the upper drum assembly 50 to keep from sliding back down the vertical support member 32 on the sliding bench 150.
In another preferred embodiment as shown in
The user operates the machine by selecting a desired resistance using the adjustment key mechanism 80 and then pulling the cord 48 inward toward the user's chest and stomach using a hand over hand motion.
As mentioned above, fork member 40, the rotating drum assembly 50, and the adjustment key assembly 78 may also be used without a frame by mounting the fork on a pre-existing stable structure, such as a wall or doorway. The rotating drum assembly 50 and adjustment key assembly 78 can also be used in any application where adjustable rotary resistance is required. The fact that the only moving parts on the invention are located in the rotating drum assembly 50 help to reduce the cost of manufacture as well as the cost of ownership, since there is very little to wear out.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. This is true of design elements, materials described, as well as uses of the machine. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.
