The present invention relates to an exercise machine, in particular the present invention relates to a load regulator for the weights pack of exercise machines.
As is known, exercise machines are used in many exercises for physical culture or muscle and/or joint rehabilitation.
Such machines consist of a fixed frame, a weights pack, a handle or grip bar, a chain or cable connecting the handle to the weights pack.
The weights pack consists of a plurality of individual weight units consisting of small bricks, usually parallelepipeds.
The weights slide along two rod-shaped guides which are part of the frame in a predetermined direction.
Due to gravity, the weights tend to apply a force towards the ground, opposed by the force applied by the user who, while exercising, counters the force of the weights by cyclically applying a force on the handle which is transmitted to the weights thanks to the tension applied by the cable or by the chain.
In this way, the user lifts the weights during the active step of the exercise.
It is known that most training programs, whether for body-building and therefore to increase muscle mass, or for post-traumatic rehabilitation, involve multiple repetitions of the same exercise, in each of them varying the load to be lifted, that is to say, the effort required of the muscle involved.
For this reason exercise machines must allow the simple, rapid selection and variation of the load at the end of each repetition.
The load is regulated by selecting a predetermined number of small bricks in the weights pack, based on the reaction required of them during the exercise.
In practice, suitable means are used to associate with the cable connected to the handle a number of small bricks predetermined according to the weight to be lifted.
There are prior art machines in which each small brick has a vertical central through-hole and a central through-hole horizontal to the ground.
Said holes are communicating holes and, when the small bricks are stacked on one another, the vertical holes form a channel which receives a rod-shaped bar.
The rod-shaped bar is connected at one end to the cable to which the handle is connected and has a plurality of holes along its longitudinal extension.
When the bar is completely inserted in the channel formed by the vertical holes in the small bricks, each hole in the bar is coaxial with a relative horizontal hole in a small brick.
The desired load is selected manually by inserting a locking pin through a horizontal hole in one of the small bricks and the corresponding hole at the same height in the rod-shaped bar.
In this way, all of the small bricks above the small brick in which the pin is inserted are locked and associated with the bar (and therefore with the cable and the handle).
Moving the pin into one of the small bricks below the selected small brick increases the weight to be lifted because it increases the number of small bricks associated with the bar. Vice versa, inserting the pin in one of the small bricks above the selected small brick reduces the weight to be lifted.
Said machines have the disadvantage of only allowing manual regulation of the load to be applied, greatly limiting their applications which would be possible if electronics were used.
There are machines in which the load of the weights can be regulated automatically using a load selector involving the use of means for coupling the weights to the rod-shaped bar which can adopt a locked position in which they engage on the bar the small brick with which they are associated, and a released position in which the small brick is not pulled together with the bar.
Said means are associated with a belt which can slide in a direction parallel with the bar, resulting in the relative locked or released condition.
Such machines have a certain construction complexity and the sliding belt associated with the coupling means is subject to rapid wear.
The aim of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages by providing a load regulator which is effective, economical, easy to regulate and resistant to wear and which allows both manual regulation and automatic regulation of the weight load.
The technical features of the present invention, in accordance with the above aim, are apparent from the content of the claims herein, in particular claim 1 and, preferably, from any of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on claim 1.
The advantages of the present invention are more apparent in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the invention, in which:
a is a schematic cross-section of a detail of another embodiment of the element of
With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes an exercise machine made in accordance with the present invention.
The exercise machine 1 comprises a frame 2 forming the basic structure of the machine 1.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Alternatively, according to other possible embodiments of the machine 1, partly dependent on the type of training for which it is intended, the user can also stand in front of the machine 1.
Close to the seat 3 there is an element 4 for allowing the user to apply a force in order to perform the exercise.
Said element 4 may be a handle, a grip bar or any other part suitable for engaging with one or more of the user's limbs.
The machine 1 also comprises a plurality of weights 5 which are also positioned on the machine 1 frame 2.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Alternatively to the holes 5e, 5f the weights 5 may have, at the ends 5c, 5d semi-circular notches 103 in which the rod-shaped guides 7 slide, as illustrated in
When the weights 5 are stacked on one another, the third through-holes 5g in them form a substantially cylindrical channel 8.
According to another possible embodiment illustrated in
The machine 1 comprises a cable 9 supported, using means of the known type and therefore not described in further detail, by the frame 1 and having a first end and a second end 9a, 9b.
The second end 9b of the cable 7 is connected to the element 4 for application of the force.
The machine 1 also comprises a load regulator 10 for selecting the weights 5.
The regulator 10 comprises a pulling bar 11, connected to the first end 9a of the cable 9.
The pulling bar 11 extends longitudinally in a predetermined direction D and has a plurality of grooves 12 along said extension.
Advantageously, according to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings the grooves 12 are circular. Alternatively, they may have opposite flat surfaces 11s which are parallel with one another (
According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in
The upper base 13a is positioned above the smaller base 13b, that is to say, each portion 13 having the shape of a truncated cone has a cross-section which decreases from the top down, with reference to the direction of the arrow F in
The pulling bar 11 slides in a longitudinal slot 101 forming a passage for the pulling bar 11.
In particular, in a first embodiment illustrated in
According to another embodiment illustrated in
On each weight 5, fixed at the upper surface 5a, there is a substantially “U”-shaped spring 14 with an open end 14a.
Each spring 14 is fixed on the respective upper surface 5a of the weight 5 by a first rivet and a second rivet 15, 16, as illustrated in
The rivets 15, 16 are machine 1 fixing means 17 and the springs 14 form elastic connecting means 18 for the regulator 10.
Each spring 14 is wrapped around the pulling bar 11 like a ring and has the open end 14a projecting from the upper surface 5a of the weight 5 on which it is fixed.
The springs 14 are able to move between a closed, home position, in which they connect the respective weight 5 on which they are fixed to the pulling bar 11 and an open position in which they release the weight 5 from the pulling bar 11.
On the upper surface 5a of each weight 5 there are also contact elements 102 for the free ends 14a of the springs 14, which define a maximum opening position of the springs 14.
Similarly, according to another embodiment not illustrated, the springs 14 are fixed, by respective rivets and contact elements, on the lower surface 5b of each weight.
In the closed position the spring 14 engages with the relative groove 12 in the pulling bar 11 at its height.
When the pulling bar 11 is lifted after the user applies the force, the spring 14, in contact with the lower part of the groove 12, allows connection of the relative weight to which it is fixed, as illustrated in
The regulator 10 also comprises a selection rod 19 which, as illustrated in
Advantageously, but without limiting the scope of the invention, the selection rod 19 has a tapered end 19a, preferably “V”-shaped, and is designed to engage in the open ends 14a of the springs 14 to widen them and bring them to the open position.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The rack 21, the roller 22 and the motor M form selection rod 19 movement means 23.
The motor M is in turn associated with a control unit 24 which can be connected to external peripherals 25 to regulate its programming.
The control unit 24 and the external peripheral 25 are machine 1 electronic means 26.
In practice, the user positions himself close to the machine 1 and sits on the seat 3 in the position required to perform the exercise.
The user inserts the external peripheral 25 (for example, a memory key) in the control unit 24.
Saved in the memory key 25 is the training program for the user with the number of weights 5 to be used in each set on each machine 1.
The control unit 24 receives from the key 25 the information about the load to be set for the first set of the exercise and activates the motor M to move the selection rod 19.
At the moment of starting an exercise, the selection rod 19 is at a predetermined height where it is inside a predetermined number of springs 14 at their free ends 14a, widening them and so holding them in the open position.
All of the springs 14 engaged with the selection rod 19 cause the relative weight 5a with which they are connected to be released from the pulling bar 11, so that it is not used in the active step of the exercise.
The remaining springs 14, not widened by the selection rod 19, are in a closed position and make the weight 5 on which they are fixed integral with the pulling bar 11 and cause the weight to be lifted with the pulling bar, by the force transmitted by the user through the element 4 and the cable 9 connected to the pulling bar 11.
A precise load is selected based on the information contained in the memory key 25.
If the load to be selected is less than the load selected at the start of the exercise, the control unit 24 activates the motor M so that the motor moves the selection rod upwards, in the direction indicated by the arrow F1 in
Vice versa, if the load to be selected is greater than the load selected at the start of the exercise, the control unit 24 causes selection rod 19 to be moved downwards, in the direction indicated by the arrow F2 in
In this way a greater and predetermined number of weights 5 is rendered integral with the pulling bar 11, increasing the load that the user must lift during the exercise.
Advantageously, the load to be lifted in a subsequent set can be increased even while the user is performing the exercise, thanks to the configuration of the pulling bar 11.
If, in the subsequent set additional small bricks 5 must be connected to the pulling bar 11, the control unit 24 moves the selection rod 19 downwards, moving into the closed position a number of springs 14 equal to the number of additional weights 5 to be connected to the pulling bar 11 in the subsequent set.
When the user finishes the current set and lowers the pulling bar 11 with the relative weights 5, the pulling bar 11 slides in the channel formed by the third through-hole in the weights released from it, moving to the lowered position.
During its lowering movement the pulling bar 11 passes through the springs 14 of the weights 5 which in the previous set were not connected to it and amongst these, thanks to its truncated-cone shaped portions 13 with the smaller cross-section at the bottom, it engages with those which during the previous set were moved into the closed position by the selection rod 19, consequently engaging with a respective number of weights 5.
Similarly, if in the subsequent set the weight must be reduced, the selection rod 19 can simply be moved upwards while the user is performing the exercise.
Other embodiments not illustrated involve the use of linkage mechanisms instead of the cable 7, to transmit the force applied by the user on the element 4 to the pack 6 of weights 5 selected.
The invention brings important advantages.
Firstly, the exclusive presence of the elastic means, that is to say, “U”-shaped springs used as means for connecting the weights to the pulling bar on one side allows easy regulation of the load to be set, in manual mode or in automatic mode.
Secondly, the invention allows optimum operation even if electronic control means are used for the load to be lifted, and allows a reduction and increase in the number of weights to be lifted even while the user is using the machine.
Moreover, the use of metal springs allows easy machine operation, significantly reducing wear on the load regulating means.
The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.
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BO2006A0534 | Jul 2006 | IT | national |
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