The disclosure relates generally to the field of exercise equipment in which a movable carriage is moved against a resistance force to exercise one or more muscles of the body. Such devices are commonly referred to as reformers.
Reformers are a type of exercise machine originated by Joseph Pilates. A traditional reformer can have a frame supporting two parallel tracks along which a wheeled carriage can travel. Springs or other resistance members can be used to a resiliently bias the carriage towards one end of the frame. A user typically sits or lies on the carriage and pushes against a foot bar to move the carriage away from the foot bar. Alternatively, the user can grasp the ends of a pair of ropes or straps that pass through pulleys on the frame and are attached to the carriage to move the carriage along the tracks.
US Patent Application Publication US 2014/0141948 A1 (the '948 Publication) to the inventor of the present exercise device, Judith Aronson, discloses a Pilates reformer. This application discloses a reformer with a seat that can be elevated. However, an improved means for elevating a seat is required. Further, the '948 Publication fails to provide a solution to changing the rope length and finely adjusting comparative rope length to compensate for stretching in one of a rope pair. What is needed, is an exercise machine that is easy to use, by providing mechanisms that allow the user to easily change the machine's configuration as the user moves seamlessly from one exercise to another.
In one aspect of the present exercise machine, an assembly is attached to the end of a reformer, where the assembly comprises a seat mechanism and a pedal mechanism. The seat mechanism has a seat, a bracket supporting the seat, and a height adjustment system, where activation of the height adjustment system permits selective adjustment and locking of the height of the seat and the bracket by restricting travel of the seat and bracket to a slanted path that is slanted relative to the vertical. The pedal mechanism has an axle, a first pedal arm with a first pedal, and a second pedal arm with a second pedal, where the first pedal arm and the second pedal arm extending from and rotating about the axle. The pedal mechanism is located directly beneath the seat when the seat mechanism is in a lowest position. And, the seat is positioned at least partially behind the pedal mechanism so that at least the first pedal and the second pedal extend beyond the seat when the seat mechanism is in a second position that is higher than the lowest position.
Referring to the illustrated assemblies of
The translating carriage (34) has four wheel assemblies (200) on the underside (as will be described further in reference to
In one example exercise, the user may rest on her back, with her shoulders against the shoulder rests (48, 50) and her feet towards the front end (84), with one or more feet touching the kick bar (64). With at least one resistance spring (102) connecting the carriage (34) to the anchor plate (104), the user must push or kick with enough force to overcome the resistance, causing the connected springs (102) to stretch. Further, the carriage (34) may be moved by pulling on handled ropes attached to the carriage (34) through various pulleys, as will be discussed in greater detail below. In various exercises, the user may also remove the balance bar (54) from the balance bar brackets (55). The handle bars (40, 42) are generally L-shaped, and are telescopically inserted into vertical handle bar posts (66, 68), forming a sliding fit. The handle bars (40, 42) are each permitted to rotate about the vertical axis within their respective handle bar posts (66, 68), either through a limited rotation or a full 360° rotation. Additionally, the height of the handles may be adjusted by sliding one or both of the handle bars (40, 42) axially within the handle bar posts (66, 68). Spring-loaded pull pins (106, 108) may be used to hold one or both the vertical and rotational positions. The pull pins (106, 108) are welded to the external surface of the handle bar posts (66, 68), such that an internal pin may be inserted and removed from a corresponding series of holes created in the handle bars (40, 42). A user simply pulls on a pull pin (106 or 108) while lifting or lowering the handle bar associated with the pull pin. The user may release the pull pin (106 or 108) and move the handle bar (40 or 42) until the pin aligns with one of the holes in the handle bar (40 or 42), allowing the pin to insert into one of the holes under spring force.
The handle bars (40, 42) may also be incrementally rotated, so that the horizontal handle portions (with the foam rubber grips) may separately be rotated by 90° increments to point towards the front end (84), the back end (86), the left side (110), or the right side (112). As seen in
The locator (368) further includes four stopped dados (364) formed on the outer wall (372) of the insert (368) and located in 90° increments about the circumference of the outer wall (372), or other desired increment. The diameter of the outer wall (372) preferably matches the diameter of the handle bar (42) tube. The stopped dados (364) receive the pin of pull pins (106, 108) when each of the handle bars (40, 42) are in a raised position. Thus, the intersecting grooves (366) hold the rotation of the handle bars (40, 42) when in the lowered position; and the stopped dados (364) hold the rotation of the handle bars (40, 42) when in the raised position. Because the outer wall (372) is the same diameter of the handle bar (42) tube, the user can lift either handle bar (40, 42) with the spring-loaded pull pins (106, 108) sliding against the outer diameter of the handle bars (40, 42), until encountering one of the stopped dados (364), where the respective pull pin (106, 108) will located with the stopped dado (364) under spring force. Because the stopped dados (364) are open at one end, the user can again lift the handle bars (40, 42) and rotate them into engagement with another stopped dado (364). To lower the handle bars (40, 42) into the lowered position, the user disengages the respective pull pin (106, 108) so that the closed end of the stopped dado (364) cannot engage the pull pin, thus allowing the respective handle bar (40, 42) to slide past the respective pull pins (106, 108).
There are other means known in the art for holding both rotational and vertical positions of the handle bars (40, 42), such as a frictional lock, where the user loosens or tightens a nut at the mouths of the handle bar posts (66, 68) to change and hold the positions of the handle bars (40, 42). With any of the above means, the user may change the position (height or rotation) of the handle bars (40, 42) to correspond to a given exercise or different comfort level.
The kick bar (64) is generally U-shaped, with a straight horizontal section and two vertical sections which each connect to the frame (32, 33) through tilt adjustment mechanisms (70, 71). The straight horizontal section is preferably encased in a grip material, such as foam rubber or other cushioning and gripping material. The angle or tilt of the kick bar (64) may be adjusted relative to vertical. For example, in a first position, the kick bar (64) may extend vertically, as shown in
Now, referencing
To change the tilt of the kick bar (64), the user lifts the kick bar (64) to remove the end pin (122) from its respective locating hole (126, 128, or 130), tilts the kick bar (64), then lowers the kick bar (64) is one the other locating holes. The slot (132) provides clearance about the cross pin (142) to permit the user to lift and lower the kick bar (64), while still providing support for rotation. Thus, the slot (132) is sufficiently long to permit the removal of the end pin (122) from one of the locating holes (126, 128, 130). In the illustrated example, the end pin (122) is initially inserted into locating hole (128). The user lifts the kick bar (64) to remove the end pin (122) from the locating hole (128), tilts the kick bar (64) clockwise, and lowers the end pin (122) into locating hole (126), as illustrated by the illustrated arrows.
If the user desires to stow the kick bar (64), she may lift the kick bar (122) to remove the end pin (122) from the locating hole (126, 128, 130), rotate the kick bar (64) clockwise until the kick bar (64) rests on support plate (140), so that the end pin (122) is not inserted into any of the locating holes (126, 128, 130) and is pointing towards the back end (86). A piece of felt, rubber, or other cushioning material may be attached to the top surface of the support plate (140) to reduce noise and metal-to-metal contact between the support plate (140) and the kick bar (64).
The carriage top side (96), the seat (38), and the front platform (36) preferably have a layer of cushioning covered by a vinyl or other appropriate fabric. A strap (not shown) extends from the left side (110) of the carriage (34) to the right side (112) of the carriage (34). The strap may be used to hold the user's feet while exercising or for other purposes. The jump board (90) (shown stowed under the carriage in
Viewing
All or some of the resistance springs (102) may have similar spring constants. Alternatively, the spring constant may be varied from spring to spring. The spring constant and resulting spring force could be indicated by color-coding, labeling, or otherwise indicating the resistance level on each spring. Although springs are illustrated, other extendable resistance means may be used, such as elastic shock cords and the like.
In
As indicated by the curved arrows in
As shown in
As shown in
The user grasps the spring connector (174) and slightly stretches the spring (102) by pulling on the spring connector (174) so that the eyelet can be engaged or disengaged to the corresponding peg (176). The illustration of
Looking now at
The carriage underside (94) further includes a spring anchor bracket (196) with a series of aligned eye bolts (198), each holding the fixed ends of the resistance springs (102). The resistance springs (102) are each supported within a spring tube (194), which prevents the springs (102) from falling down, yet permits the springs (102) to expand and contract freely. A parallel series of spring tubes (194) are created by pleating a single sheet of rubber or similar material to create arched tunnels, much like the continuous cartridge pleat known in the art of fabric sewing.
The third rope (236) is connected to sheave (208); and the fourth rope (238) is connected to sheave (206). The third rope (236) and the fourth rope (238) run parallel and together through the rope equalizing mechanism (156). The third rope (236) and the fourth rope (238) lead from sheaves (208 and 206), through bracket rope hole (240) (shown in
Looking still at
As shown in
The shoulder rest sockets (78, 78′, 80, 80′) are formed through the carriage (34), from the carriage top side (96) to the underside (94), with shoulder rest guide tubes (230) aligned with the shoulder rest sockets (78, 78′, 80, 80′) and extending downward from the underside (94). The shoulder rest guide tubes (230) have a square cross-section and receive the square rods (151 and 153) of the shoulder rests (48, 50). The square engagement prevents the rotation of the shoulder rests (48, 50), while the length of the shoulder rest guide tubes (230) prevent tilting. Thus, in order to remove the shoulder rests (48, 50) from the shoulder rest sockets (78, 78′, 80, 80′), the user must lift the shoulder rests (48, 50) straight up and out of the sockets (78, 78′, 80, 80′). A strap anchor (184) is also located on two edges of the carriage underside (94).
When pull pin (246) is pulled up, a narrow portion of the pin aligns with one of the set hole (258, 258′, 258″, 258′″), and is narrow enough to permit travel of the pin along the narrow slot (262). And once the pull pin (246) is released, the larger diameter portion of the pin is permitted to reengage with any one of the set holes (258, 258′, 258″, 258′″) selected by the user. Thus, the pull pin (246) may lock in any chosen set hole (258, 258′, 258″, 258′″). The pull pin (246) is attached to one end of the adjustment arm (256). A spring hook (247) hooks through an opening at the opposite end of the adjustment arm. The spring hook (247) travels in slot (252) on the adjustment plate (250). As the pull pin (246) is repositioned from one set hole to another, the pin must also follow, by changing engagement from one adjustment notch to another. For example, if the pull pin (246) is engaged with hole (258), the spring hook (247) must be engaged with notch (254). If the pull pin (246) is moved to hole (258′), then the spring hook (247) also moves to notch (254′), and so on. The opposite end (248) of the spring (220) attaches to the frame. Thus, as the user changes the pull pin (246) position, the lever arm is changed to adjust the resistance level provided by the spring (220), where hole (258) is the lowest setting and hole (258′″) is the highest setting.
An alternate embodiment of the pedal assembly (216) is shown in
As mentioned above, ropes (236 and 238) wrap respectively about sheaves (208 and 206). As detailed in
In this way, the sheave (208) is biased into locking engagement with the hex coupling nut (286). To turn the sheave (208) relative to the sheave bracket (290), the user must axially pull the sheave (206) towards the screw head (298) against the spring (289) bias to disengage the hex opening (296) from the hex coupling nut (286), as indicated by the arrows in
The rope (236) is connected to the sheave (208) by threading the rope (236) into the rope inlet (293), then weaving the rope (236) through one or more rope threading holes (294), much like a straight stich or running stitch in the sewing arts. A knot may be tied at the end of the rope (236), but is not preferred, since simply stitching the rope (236) through successive rope threading holes (294) provides sufficient holding strength through friction, and may be quickly unthreaded to further adjust the length of the rope (236).
The sheave adjustment mechanism (283) permits fine adjustment of the length of the rope (236) to compensate for uneven stretching between pairs of ropes (i.e., between rope pair 236-234 and between rope pair 238-232). Once the rope (236) is threaded to the sheave (208), the user lifts the sheave (208) and rotates the sheave (208) to further wrap or unwrap the rope (236) about the sheave (208) within annular groove (300). Once released, the sheave's (208) rotation is locked by engagement with the hex coupling nut (286). Sheave (206) may be similarly adjusted with the rope (238) inserted into rope inlet (292), by pulling the sheave (206) against spring (288) on shoulder screw (284).
Referring now to
Height adjustment bracket (312) is generally L-shaped, and is pivoted near the L corner to the seat bracket (324). A release lever is pivoted to one leg of the height adjustment bracket (312), and is biased by spring (328). On the second leg of the height adjustment bracket (312) is a lower notch (314) and an upper notch (316). When the seat (38) is in the lowered position, lower notch (314) is engaged with lower pin (318), where spring (328) biases the notch (314) towards pin (318). When the seat (38) is in the raised position, upper notch (316) is engaged with upper pin (320), where spring (328) again biases the notch (316) towards pin (320).
Similarly, the opposing side of the seat adjustment assembly (214) has a U-channel (306), a height adjustment bracket (310) with a release lever (264) and biased by a spring (326), and a seat bracket (322), all similarly arranged as described above. To raise the seat (38), the user must depress both release levers (264 and 266) by grasping the edge of the seat (38) and pulling the release levers (264, 266) upwards with the fingers to release the notch (314) from the pin (318) on both sides. The user will then lift up on the seat (38) until notch (316) engages pin (320). To lower the seat (38), the user similarly depresses both release levers (264, 266), and lower the seat (38) until notch (314) engages pin (318).
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20120202661 | Jordan | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20150141218 | Magrella | May 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180345064 A1 | Dec 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62194128 | Jul 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15213258 | Jul 2016 | US |
Child | 16102609 | US |