Patent Grant
10434369
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
This invention relates to exercise equipment and their method of use.
One of the goals of exercise facilities is to be able to accommodate as many customers as possible while maximizing the different types of exercises that can be performed in a given space. Unfortunately, most exercise devices tend to target specific muscle groups. Therefore, a variety of different exercise devices are required. Given the limited space in a gym or studio, this leaves a limited number of a particular type of exercise device for each customer. Therefore, if there are more customers than a particular piece of gym equipment, then the customers must wait in line until the other user is finished with the gym equipment. In some settings, an instructor would like a group of students to simultaneously perform the same exercises while staying in the same relative position during a class, which is not possible where the gym just has one or two machines that are used for a particular exercise.
Furthermore, a lot of different gym equipment tends to take up a large footprint on the gym floor, further reducing the number of such equipment that can be placed in the gym. In addition, when there is a lot of gym equipment, it can be daunting for some customers as to where to begin and how to use the equipment.
Therefore, there is still a need for an exercise system that is simplistic, efficient, and provides a versatility of types of exercises, and cats be used simultaneously in a group setting.
The present invention is directed to an exercise machine that as a wide variety of adjustments that can be tailored to the user while operating the machine, without removing the user's hands from the machine's exercise handles. In a preferred embodiment, the exercise machine creates resistance through compressed gas in at least one pneumatic cylinder, whose resistance is adjusted via valves that are operated by wireless or wired controls incorporated into the exercise handles of the machine, so the user never needs to remove his hands from the exercise handle to adjust the resistance. The resistance may be automatically calculated and set by locking the pneumatic cylinder and having the user pull on the handles, and the force is measured by a strain gauge to determine the appropriate resistance for the exercise. A microprocessor handles the inputs from the user-operated handles, and controls valves in the system to adjust the pressure to the pneumatic cylinder to the appropriate level. The battery-equipped handles preferably transmit signals via Bluetooth to the microprocessor, which microprocessor may be alternatively or exclusively controlled and/or monitored via a video screen at the exercise machine, which may be a touch screen that allows additional inputs and selections to the microprocessor to select complete workouts, individual exercises, resistance values, time, and other various parameters for the exercises.
The handles are connected to cables that are routed to a pneumatic cylinder. During an exercise, the pneumatic cylinder(s) maintain a constant level of pressure, and thus a constant resistance to the cables and handles, by releasing gas into a larger tank that is maintained at the desired pressure. In some embodiments, the air connection between the pneumatic cylinder and the tank is continuous and unimpeded. The tank acts as a larger reservoir to maintain a relatively constant pressure in the cylinder during its compression and extension. In a preferred embodiment, the “tank” is a structural component of exercise machine, comprising T-slot extruded aluminum, used as the overhead structure (i.e. the header) for the exercise machine, which may have at least one chamber that can be used as the “tank” to equalize the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder as the cylinder is being extended or compressed during an exercise. Alternatively, a separate tank could be used.
One object of the device is to allow a user to have individual control over the tension (resistance) of the machine without removing his or her hands from the exercise handles. Another object of the device is to create an exercise machine that uses gas pressure rather than eights or other resistance-creating apparatus, which can save room by locating the gas compressor outside the exercise area and not requiring space for bulky weights or long connections of cables to weights, but rather having an easy to run gas line from the compressor to the exercise machine. One gas compressor can supply compressed gas to a multitude of machines, allowing for a space-saving group exercise machine where every machine tailors the resistance to the individual, where each machine has an individual pneumatic cylinder. In a group setting where multiple machines are used, one processor could be used for each machine, or one central microprocessor could control them all. Another object of the device is to allow specialized exercises that are difficult to accomplish with weights, by allowing the user to resist the weight but extend the user's appendage until it is sufficiently extended, then releasing the resistance via the button on the handle and starting the exercise over again, which when done with weights is usually accomplished by having a second person lift the weights to allow the user to begin each repetition (these are often called “negatives” because they use negative resistance). Another object of this device is to allow a user to view a video screen to obtain information from and input information to a microprocessor that can control various aspects and parameters of the exercise machine.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
The present invention is directed towards an exercise system 100, and in particular, a group exercise system that minimizes the number of components required for an exercise system, while maximizing the amount of space available at a given station for performing the exercises. Specifically, the exercise system 100 elevates much of the components to free up floor space. In addition, due to the relatively simplistic frame design, the exercise system 100 is modular, allowing the exercise facility to easily add additional stations to the exercise system 100.
As shown in
The frame 102 comprises a horizontal frame 104 (or station header), and a pair of vertical frames 106, 108 (or slide-poles) attached to the horizontal frame 104 on opposite ends by a pair of corner plates 110, 112 (or crown plates), one corner plate attaching each end of the horizontal frame 104 to one of the vertical frames 106, 108. The frame 102 may further comprise a pair of base plates 114, 116 one base plate 114, 116 to secure each vertical frame 106, 108 to the floor.
As shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the first end 128 of the horizontal frame 104 may be adjacent to the top end 132 of the first vertical frame 106, and the second end 130 of the horizontal frame may be adjacent to the top end 134 of the second vertical frame 108. The first side 120 of the horizontal frame 104 may comprise a first set of tracks 140, and the second side 122 may comprise a second set of tracks 142. The first side 120, second side 122, top side 124, and bottom side 126 may define one or more cavities 144, 146, 148, 150 extending substantially from the first end 128 of the horizontal frame 104 to the second end 130 of the horizontal frame 104. In some embodiments, the horizontal frame 104 defines two large cavities 144, 146 and two small cavities 148, 150 adjacent to the two large cavities 144, 146.
The cavities of the horizontal frame 104 are configured to house various components of the exercise system 100, such as the gas supply line and electrical cords. For better management of the components, the various components can be kept in separate cavities. For example, the gas supply line and the electrical cords may be housed in the separate small cavities 148, 150 of the horizontal frame 104, or in the same cavity. As discussed in more detail below, in embodiments in which the resistance machine is a pneumatic cylinder, one of the cavities 144, 146 may function as an equalizer tank in which the gas being compressed in the pneumatic cylinder can be released into the equalizer tank to maintain constant pressure in the pneumatic cylinder during an exercise.
As shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the resistance provided to the user during an exercise is created by pneumatic cylinders 202, 204. To maximize floor space, the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 are preferably mounted above the horizontal frame 104. As shown in
The piston 208 is driven into the gas tube 206 by the user during an exercise by the pulley system 300. The pulley system 300 comprises a set of pulleys 302 and a drive mechanism (not shown). Preferably, the piston 208 is operatively connected to a piston slide plate 216 slidably mounted on the horizontal frame 104, for example, via one of the tracks 140 of the horizontal frame 104. Preferably, sliding members 218 can be inserted into the tracks 140. The piston slide plate 216 can be mounted to the sliding members 218 with standard fasteners. The sliding members 218 can be any type of mechanism that can slide along the track 140 with minimal resistance, For example, the sliding member 218 may comprise a smooth flat surface, rollers, ball bearings, and the like. Minimizing the friction between the sliding member 218 and the track 104 allows for a more accurate measurement of the resistive force created by the piston 208 being driven into the gas tube 206.
Referring back to
In the preferred embodiment, the gas tube 206 is approximately 2 feet (0.61 meters) long. Therefore, the piston 208 can travel a distance of approximately 2 feet. To assure that the user has sufficient length of the drive mechanism to perform the exercises, in the preferred embodiment, four pulleys 302a-d are attached to or near the pneumatic cylinder 202 to give a mechanical advantage of four. This allows the drive mechanism 304 to be moved four times the length of the gas tube 206. Therefore, with a two foot gas tube 206, the user can move the handle 350 attached to the drive mechanism eight feet (2.44 meters), which is usually sufficient for any type of exercise. In addition, the four-pulley embodiment decreases the resistance at the handle 350 at a 4:1 ratio compared to the pneumatic cylinder 202. For example, if the resistance at the pneumatic cylinder 202 is 100 Newtons, the resistance at the handle 350 is 25 Newtons. This reduction of resistance at the handle 350 allows for finer adjustment of the resistance at the handle 350. Other combinations of pulleys can be used to vary the velocity ratio and the mechanical advantage.
With reference to
In some embodiments, each pneumatic cylinder 202, 204 may have an infrared (IR) sensor 207 associated with it. The IR sensor 207 may be in-line with the piston 208 on the opposite side of the gas tube 206 housing the piston 208 with which the IR sensor 207 is in-line. This IR sensor 207 may be able to calculate movement or position of the piston 208, which may be by measuring the distance between the IR sensor 207 and the piston 208, By detecting movement of the piston 208 as a function of time, the rate or velocity of the piston movement can be determined. The talk may have a pressure sensor 154 to determine the amount of pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204. Knowing the velocity of the piston 208 and the pressure in the gas tube 206, the power being exerted by the user during an exercise can be calculated. This data can be used to optimize and customize a user's exercises, which can be important for high level athletes. Such data can also be used to summarize/analyze completed workouts and plan subsequent workouts.
In some embodiments, a single pneumatic cylinder 202 may be used as the resistive force for both handles 350. In such an embodiment, the drive mechanism may connect both handles 350 to the same pneumatic cylinder 202. If the user desires to use only one handle 350, the second handle can be locked against the frame. In some embodiments, each handle 350 may be attached to its own pneumatic cylinder 202, 204, which may be connected to a common tank or individual tanks. Therefore, each handle 350 may be attached to their own respective pulley system, drive mechanism, and pneumatic cylinder. This allows each handle to be independent of the other, especially if the pneumatic cylinders are connected to separate tanks.
The pair of handles 350 are operatively coupled to the drive mechanism; and therefore, operatively connected to the resistance machine. The resistance machine provides the resistive force to counter a pulling force on the drive mechanism by a user moving the handle.
As shown in
Other handle configurations can be used. For example, the gas input actuator 358 and the gas release actuator 360 may be located at the same end of the handle adjacent to each other. The user can grasp the handle so that the user's thumb is adjacent to the actuators. Then, the user can actuate either the gas input actuator or the gas release actuator with the same thumb.
With the actuators 358, 360 adjacent to the thumbs, the user is able to change the resistance in the middle of an exercise. In other words, the user can instantly add or release pressure in the middle of an exercise. For example, a user may be performing an exercise involving a concentric contraction. If the user is unable to complete the movement for a full contraction, the user can slowly start to release the pressure from the pneumatic cylinders by pressing the gas release actuator 360. As the resistance in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204 decreases, the user is able to complete the contraction. As discussed above, the user may be able to control the rate of flow of gas, which may be adjusted by pressing harder on the button. Or the rate may be preset by the controller for a particular exercise, or calculated by controller based on various input parameters such as air pressure, rate of cylinder movement, acceleration of the handle, position of the handle, etc.
Similarly, the user can perform an eccentric contraction exercise by releasing the compressed gas from the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204, pulling the handle 350 until the piston 208 is fully inserted into the gas tube 206, then slowly increasing the compressed gas into the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204 by pressing the gas input actuator 358 causing the piston 208 to be moved out of the gas tube while the user resists this force.
The handles 350 may further comprise an accelerometer 362. An accelerometer 362 can perform a number of functions in the handle 350. First, the handle 350 may have a battery 364. Therefore, to save battery power, the electronic features of the handle can enter a sleep mode if the accelerometer does not detect any movement.
Using the accelerometer to detect a simple change in direction of movement of the handle 350 can be an indication of the completion of one repetition (rep) of an exercise. Therefore, the handles 350 can be used to keep track of the number of reps during a particular exercise. More complex algorithms can be written to determine the precise exercise being performed based on the overall movement and orientation of the handles 350 the speed of the handle, or to determine if an exercise is being performed correctly. Simulation of the movement can be replicated and displayed on a monitor 402. The proper movement of the exercise may be overlaid on the simulation so that the user can see whether his movements are correct or not. In addition to, or in place of an accelerometer, the handle could be equipped to work with a local or indoor positioning, or other suitable systems that can track the position and movement of the handle.
To vary the types of exercises that can be performed on the exercise system 100 of the present invention, the handles 350 may be adjustably connected to the frame. For example, the vertical frames 106, 108 may also comprise a track 115 similar to the horizontal frames 104. The handles 350 may be attached to the vertical frames 106, 108 via slide brackets 366, 367 with one handle 350 attached to one vertical frame 106, so that the handles can be vertically adjusted. Locks 368 may be provided on the slide brackets so that the handles 350 can be locked in position at a desired height.
The components of the handle, such as the electronics 370, batteries 364, buttons 358, 360, and accelerometer 362 may be compactly arranged as a cylindrical module in a handle cage 372 so that the module can be easily removed from the handle 350, 352 and inserted into a different type of exercise bar like changing a battery.
A controller 400 may be operatively connected to the gas input actuator 358, the gas release actuator 360, the valve system 220, and the gas compressor 214, so that actuation of the gas input actuator 358 causes the controller 400 to turn the gas compressor 214 on to increase gas pressure in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204, and actuation of the gas release actuator 360 causes the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204 to release pressure through the valve system 220.
In some embodiments, a monitor 402 may be provided to visually display pressure information in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204. In some embodiments, the monitor 402 may be a part of the controller 400. The monitor 402 and the controller 400 can be placed in a location convenient for the user to see. For example, the monitor 402 and controller 400 may be attached to the frame. In the preferred embodiment, the monitor 402 and controller 400 are attached to the frame at one of the junctions where the horizontal frame 102 meets one of the vertical frames 106, 108. This keeps the controller 400 and monitor 402 away from the user to avoid obstructing an exercise. The controller 400 may also have actuators to adjust, i.e. raise or lower, the resistive force in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204.
In the preferred embodiment, the controller 400 may have a synced mode and an independent mode. In the synced mode, the actuators 358, 360 on both handles 350 control both pneumatic cylinders 202, 204, most simply by connecting both cylinders with a common tank; therefore, both pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 are synced with each other in terms of the amount of pressure in the cylinders 202, 204. Therefore, actuation of the gas input actuator 358 or the gas release actuator 360 on either handle 350 will cause both pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 to adjust accordingly. In the independent mode, each handle 350 only controls the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 associated with the respective handle 350, which may be accomplished by using separate tanks for each cylinder. Therefore, if the user's non-dominant hand requires less resistive force than the dominant hand, the exercise system 100 can accommodate such features. This may also be useful for physical therapy one arm that has been injured.
In some embodiments, the exercise system 100 may comprise a strain gauge 156 (or load cell). A strain gauge 156 may be used to measure the pulling force imparted by the user while the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 are locked in place. This information can be used to help the user determine the amount of resistive force desired for a particular exercise. For example, the user may stand in front of the frame with one handle in his left hand outstretched to the left and one handle in his right hand outstretched to the right. With the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 locked in place, the user can use as much force as he wants to bring the two handles 350 together in front of his chest. Since the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 are locked in place, the strain gauge measure e ling force being imparted by the user during this motion. If the user uses all his strength, this will be his maximum pulling force for this type of exercise. This maximum pulling force may be automatically inputted into the controller. The user can then set the controller to provide a specific percentage, for example 70 percent, of the maximum pulling force as the resistive force in the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204. The user can then perform this exercise with a resistive force being equivalent to about 70 percent of the user's maximum pulling force.
In the preferred embodiment, the user can activate the strain gauge 156 and lock the pneumatic cylinder 202, 204 by depressing both the gas input actuator 358 and the gas release actuator 360 simultaneously. Various other activation modes may be employed. As shown in
A variety of accessories can be attached to the frame to offer a wider variety of exercises that can be performed on the frame. For example, the frame may further comprise a chin-up bar 500, a dip station, straps, ropes, bands, and the like. Suspension devices, such as the straps, ropes, and bands are usually left dangling, which can interfere with a user maneuvering around the station. Therefore, the suspension devices may be made to retract into a housing. For example, the suspension devices may be attached to a spring wrapped around a post inside the housing. As the suspension device is pulled out for use, the spring tightens around the post. When the user has completed the exercise and releases the suspension device, the spring unwinds and retracts the suspension device back into the housing.
In use, the user grasps a first handle 350 having a first resistance adjustor (e.g. the gas input actuator 358) so that a first digit of the user (e.g. the thumb) is proximal to the first resistance adjustor so that the user can actuate the first resistance adjustor with the first digit without adjusting the user's grasp of the first handle 350. The first handle 350 and the first resistance adjustor are operatively connected to a resistance machine 200. The user grasps a second handle having a second resistance adjustor (e.g. the gas release actuator 360) so that a second digit of the user (e.g. the user's other thumb) is pro al to the second resistance adjustor so that the user can actuate the second resistance adjustor with the second digit without adjusting the user's grasp of the second handle. The second handle and the second resistance adjustor are operatively connected to the resistance machine 200. The user moves the first and second handles 350 (e.g. pushing motion or pulling motion) until the resistance machine 200 imparts a resistive force against such movement. The resistive force can be overcome by the user by moving the first and second handles 350 with greater force. If the user wants to change the amount of resistive force, the user can adjust the resistive force of the resistance machine 200 through a controller 400 by actuating the first resistance adjustor or the second resistance adjustor with the first or second digits, respectively, without having to alter the grasp on the first and second handles 350. By way of example only, actuating the first resistance adjustor may increase the resistive force of the resistance machine 200, and actuating the second resistance adjustor may decrease the resistive force of the resistance machine 200.
In some embodiments, actuating the gas input actuator 358 and the gas release actuator 360 simultaneously locks the resistance machine 200 and activates a strain gauge to measure an amount of pulling force applied to the resistance machine 200 by the user. The amount of force recorded by the strain gauge may be used to determine the resistive force or some percentage thereof.
Thus far, only a single station of the exercise system 100 has been described. The structural features described above can be replicated to create multiple stations 100a, 100b in a single gym setting. Each station may comprise a separate pair of pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 that may have a common tank or separate tanks, a separate pulley system 300, and separate handles 350, 352. In some embodiments, each station 100a, 100b may have its own gas compressor 214. In some embodiments, a single gas compressor 214 may provide compressed gas for multiple stations.
As shown in
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.
This invention may be industrially applied to the development, manufacture, and use of a compact and efficient exercise system that maximizes exercise floorspace by utilizing a frame having attached to it a pulley system, drive mechanism attached to the pulley system, and a resistance machine preferably in the form of pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 attached to the drive mechanism, and a pair of handles attached to the drive mechanism such that movement of the handles in various directions causes a pulling force on the drive mechanism which causes the piston of the pneumatic cylinders 202, 204 to compress into the gas tube of the pneumatic cylinder, wherein compressed gas in the gas tube imposes a resistive force against the piston decree resistance for the user during an exercise.
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| WO2015/196158 | 12/23/2015 | WO | A |
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