Claims
- 1. A method for determining a bench pivot axle position on a support frame of an exercise machine including a bench adapted to pivot about the bench pivot axle and equipped with a bench pad, the support frame and bench pad having a combined thickness w, said method comprising the steps of;(a) determining a likely position of a user's shoulder joint relative to the support frame; (b) constructing vertical and horizontal reference planes through the likely position of the shoulder joint to define a shoulder joint axis at the intersection of said vertical and horizontal reference planes; (c) selecting a direction of an exercise motion at an angle β within a predetermined range of 0° to 135° relative to said vertical reference plane; (d) constructing a motion plane T-T′ at said angle β and passing through said shoulder joint axis coincident with said selected direction of exercise motion; (e) constructing a body circle centered on said shoulder joint axis with a radius equal to about 4.1 inches; (f) constructing an approximate 2.5 inch square centered on said shoulder joint axis to establish a functional zone of offset for the shoulder joint relative to said shoulder joint axis; (g) selecting desired operational exercise bench angles γo, γf relative to said horizontal reference plane and defining γ as the total exercise range angle; (h) constructing a plane So-So′ through said shoulder joint axis at said angle γo and a plane Sf-Sf′ through said shoulder joint axis at said angle γf; (i) constructing a pair of intersecting bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′ parallel to said planes So-So′ and Sf-Sf′, respectively, and tangent to said body circle; (j) constructing a bench pivot axle plane F-F′ through said shoulder joint axis and the intersection of said bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′; (k) constructing a pair of intersecting pivot planes Co-Co′ and Cf-Cf′ parallel to the respective bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′ and offset by the combined thickness w; and (l) establishing an optimal bench pivot axle location at the intersection of said Co-Co′ and Cf-Cf′ planes, said optimal bench pivot axle location lying on said bench pivot axle plane F-F′.
- 2. A method for determining a bench pivot axle position on a support frame of an exercise machine including a bench adapted to pivot about the bench pivot axle and equipped with a bench pad, the support frame and bench pad having a combined thickness w, said method comprising the steps of:(a) determining a likely position of a user's shoulder joint relative to the support frame; (b) constructing vertical and horizontal reference planes through the likely position of the shoulder joint to define a shoulder joint axis at the intersection of said vertical and horizontal reference planes; (c) positioning said shoulder joint axis between 29.5 inches and 32.0 inches forward of a vertical frame member and between 22.5 inches and 26.0 inches vertically above a base frame member of the support frame; (d) selecting a direction of an exercise motion at an angle β within a predetermined range of 0° to 135° relative to said vertical reference plane; (e) constructing a motion plane T-T′ at said angle β and passing through said shoulder joint axis coincident with said selected direction of exercise motion; (f) constructing a body circle centered on said shoulder joint axis with a radius equal to about 4.1 inches; (g) constructing an approximate 2.5 inch square centered on said shoulder joint axis to establish a functional zone of offset for the shoulder joint relative to said shoulder joint axis; (h) selecting desired operational exercise bench angles γo, γf relative to said horizontal reference plane and defining γ as the total exercise range angle; (i) constructing a plane So-So′ through said shoulder joint axis at said angle γo and a plane Sf-Sf′ through said shoulder joint axis at said angle γf; (j) constructing a pair of intersecting bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′ parallel to said planes So-So′ and Sf-Sf′, respectively, and tangent to said body circle; (k) constructing a bench pivot axle plane F-F′ through said shoulder joint axis and the intersection of said bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′; (l) constructing a pair of intersecting pivot planes Co-Co′ and Cf-Cf′ parallel to the respective bench pad planes Po-Po′ and Pf-Pf′ and offset by the combined thickness w; and (m) establishing an optimal bench pivot axle location at the intersection of said Co-Co′ and Cf-Cf′ planes, said optimal bench pivot axle location lying on said bench pivot axle plane F-F′.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) further includes positioning said shoulder joint axis 30.9 inches forward of said vertical frame member.
- 4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) further includes positioning said shoulder joint axis 24.2 inches vertically above said base frame member.
- 5. A method for determining a bench pivot axle position on a support frame of an exercise machine including a bench adapted to pivot about the bench pivot axle and equipped with a bench pad, the support frame and bench pad having a combined thickness w, said method comprising the steps of:(a) constructing a pair of intersecting vertical and horizontal references planes through the center of a user's shoulder joint being placed in a likely position relative to the support frame to define a shoulder joint axis at the intersection of said vertical and horizontal reference planes; (b) restraining an user's arm to articulate in a motion plane passing through said shoulder joint axis and being disposed at an angle β relative to said vertical reference plane; (c) constructing a body circle centered on said shoulder joint axis and having a radius equal to a median body thickness; (d) establishing a functional zone of shoulder joint offset relative to said shoulder joint axis within said body circle, said functional zone being centered on said shoulder joint axis; (e) constructing a pair of intersecting operational exercise bench position planes through the center of the user's shoulder joint at selected initial and final bench positional angles γo, γf relative to said horizontal reference plane; (f) constructing a pair of intersecting bench pad planes parallel to said pair of operational exercise bench position planes, respectively, and tangent to said body circle; (g) constructing a bench pivot axle plane through said shoulder joint axis and the intersection of said bench pad planes; and (h) constructing a pair of intersecting planes parallel to said pair of bench pad planes and offset by the combined thickness w, respectively, to establish an optimal bench pivot axle location at the intersection of said pair of offset planes, said optimal bench pivot axle location lying on said bench pivot axle plane.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the median body thickness of step (c) is measured from the center of the shoulder joint to a tangential point of contact between the user's back and the bench pad.
- 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the functional zone of step (d) is shaped as a square.
- 8. The method of claim 5, wherein angle β of step (b) is selected from a range of 0° to 135°.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/232,094, filed Jan. 15, 1999, abandoned, which claims the benefit of provisional application Serial No. 60/071,602, filed Jan. 16, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/071602 |
Jan 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/232094 |
Jan 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/563805 |
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US |