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The invention relates generally to seating structures, and more specifically to a movable seating structure that can be adjusted by one-handed operation from one seating position to another seating position. Something is considered a seating position if a human being can rest his or her weight thereon without substantial vertical movement.
There are many people who would like to exercise but have injuries or other reasons that conventional exercise machines or equipment cannot accommodate them. As an example, many exercise machines have adjustable seating structures for the user to sit upon during use. Seating structures may include an upwardly-facing surface, made of any suitable material, upon which it is comfortable for the human posterior to rest during the exercise. Many such seats can be adjusted to position the surface at the height of the user by raising and lowering the seating structure's support.
The seat adjustment mechanisms of conventional equipment require the user to lift or lower the seat itself, such as with one hand, while simultaneously removing and/or replacing a pin or other structure that holds the seat in place, which may be accomplished using a second hand. In many conventional mechanisms, the user must be resting his or her weight on the seating surface to lower the seat against an upwardly-directed pneumatic ram that raises the seat without the user's weight opposing it. Many users cannot perform these simultaneous actions even though the users can perform the action required by the exercise machine. This results in the person being unable to use an exercise machine merely because he or she cannot actuate the seat adjustment.
Therefore, there is a need for a seating surface of an exercise machine that can be adjusted at least vertically by a single action, and which does not require the user to be sitting on the seat during adjustment.
Disclosed herein is a mechanism that may be drivingly linked to a seat to enable at least vertical seat adjustment when the user engages a single, moveable structure for adjustment in one vertical direction and the same or another structure for movement in the opposite vertical direction. This may be on a seat used with an exercise machine. In all cases, only one such structure needs to be actuated to move the seat either up or down. One such structure may be a hand-engageable handle, such as a lever handle. Another such structure may be a grip used to lift the seat. Other structures are contemplated and will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill from the disclosure herein.
One embodiment is a mechanism for adjusting a seat position. The mechanism allows for height adjustment of the seat using a single human extremity, such as a hand, instead of plural extremities as in the prior art. There is no requirement that any of the user's body weight be resting on the seat in order to adjust the seat height. It is also contemplated that the mechanism includes a structure used to adjust the seat's horizontal proximity to the exercise machine.
The height adjustment mechanism may include a seat with an integrated handle and/or grip that can be used to pull up the seat to adjust its height. Furthermore, there may be a spring-loaded latch that engages an internal rack of teeth. This combination may allow the seat to “ratchet” the latch in and out of the teeth when raised, but not allow it to be lowered until a different action is taken. In order to lower the seat, the user may be required to rotate a handle, which disengages a spring-loaded latch or other obstructing structure and the seat lowers under its own weight. Upon reaching the desired height, the user may simply release the handle and the latch extends into a gap between teeth. The seat may be counter-balanced via a spring to reduce its effective weight so that the seat can readily be raised with one hand. As an example, which is not limiting, the effective weight of the seat may be less than or equal to about 7 lbs, which is an amount that may typically be raised by one hand while still allowing the seat to lower under its own weight by turning the handle.
In one embodiment, the mechanism used for horizontal proximity adjustment of the seat relative to the exercise machine is coupled to the same handle used to adjust height of the seat. When the user rotates the handle, this rotating action may also displace a cable that disengages a secondary pin, thereby allowing the seat to be manually moved horizontally forward and backward on a track or on wheels.
In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the word connected or terms similar thereto are often used. They are not limited to direct connection, but include connection through other elements where such connection is recognized as being equivalent by those skilled in the art.
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/809,221, which is the above claimed priority application, is incorporated in this application by reference.
In one embodiment, an apparatus 10 has a seat member 12 (also referred to as a “seat”) with a seating surface 12′ that faces upwardly in the orientation of
A pedestal 16 is disposed beneath the seat 12 and may house a vertical tube member 35 (see
In the embodiment of
The latch bar 36 is pivotably mounted at its upper end to the pedestal 16 by the pins 42 and 44. The latch bar 36 has a latch 50 that extends rigidly from one latch bar side member 36a to the opposite latch bar side member 36b near the end of the latch bar 36 opposite the pins 42 and 44. Thus, when the latch bar 36 pivots about the pins 42 and 44, the latch 50 moves along an arcuate path about the pins 42 and 44. The latch 50 may be a rod with a diameter that permits it to fit in gaps between the teeth 64 and 54 formed on the plates 32 and 34, respectively.
The latch bar 36 may be biased, such as by a spring (not shown), to rotate toward the deepest regions of the gaps between the teeth 54 and 64, so that the latch 50 may be readily inserted into the gaps. If a torque is applied to the latch bar 36 sufficient to pivot the latch 50 out of the gaps, the biased latch bar 36 will pivot the latch 50 back toward the gaps upon release, or sufficient reduction of, that torque.
The plates 32 and 34 are preferably identical or at least substantially the same with regard to tooth size and the distance between adjacent teeth. Therefore, only the plate 32 needs to be described and shown in detail. As shown in detail in
Each tooth 64 has a sloped side 64s that is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the elongated aperture 62. That angle may be 45 degrees, and preferably is in a range between about 30 and about 60 degrees, but is less than 90 degrees. Each tooth has an opposite, barb side 64b that is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the elongated aperture 62. Each barb side 64b may hold the latch 50 from sliding relative to the teeth 64. As is apparent from
As shown in
When the free end of the handle 20 is rotated upwardly (counterclockwise in
When the latch 50 is positioned in one of the gaps 66 (and one of the corresponding gaps between the teeth of the plate 34), the plates 32 and 34 rest on the latch 50 and the latch 50 serves as an obstructing structure that prevents movement of the plates 32 and 34 relative to the latch bar 36. When the latch 50 is in the gaps and rests against barb sides 64b of a pair of teeth 64, the plates 32 and 34 support the seat 12 at least in a vertical direction because the teeth 64 rest on the latch 50 and downward movement of the seat 12 and all connected structures is prevented until the latch 50 is moved. When the latch 50 is moved so it is no longer in a gap 66, the seat 12 may move downwardly relative to the base 14. Thus, when the latch 50 is removed from the gaps 66 and is held outside of the gaps, the weight of the seat 12 permits downward movement of the seat 12 if there is no other obstruction by the mechanism 30.
In one embodiment, a pneumatic spring 60 (
Therefore, in order to lower the seat, the user simply rotates the handle 20, which may be by a user grasping it and rotating about the leg of the L-shaped handle that is mounted closest to the pedestal 16 (see
A grip 18 may be incorporated into the seat 12, as shown in
When a sufficient upward force is applied to the seat 12, such as by grasping and then lifting the grip 18, the seat 12 moves upwardly. This is caused as the attached plates 32 and 34 move upwardly relative to the latch bar 36 with the attached tube member 35 and the attached seat 12. Sufficient upward movement by the plates 32 and 34 causes the angled sides 64s of the corresponding teeth to slide against and apply a lateral force to the latch 50 as the teeth displace the latch 50, tending to cause rotation of the latch bar 36. This rotation of the latch bar 36 opposes the rotational bias tending to force the latch 50 into the gaps between the teeth. Thus, the lateral force applied by the vertical movement of the sloped sides 64s sliding against the latch 50 moves the latch 50 out of the gaps 66 between the teeth 64, and this permits the plates 32 and 34, and the attached seat 12, to move upwardly.
When the latch 50 slides along the angled sides 64s of the teeth and reaches the next-adjacent gaps, the latch 50 rotates under the force of the bias back into those next-adjacent gaps. If the upward force applied to the grip 18 is released at this point, the respective teeth of the plates 32 and 34 will be supported by the latch 50 and the seat 12 will stay in this vertical seating position. If the seat 12 is lifted further, the process of the teeth applying a lateral force to the latch 50 is repeated and the latch 50 may be moved to insertion in the gaps 66 between the next lower set of teeth. This process can be repeated as many times as there are gaps. Once the seat is in the desired position, the user simply ceases applying an upward force, and the seat rests in the vertical seating position that is determined by the teeth resting upon the latch 50.
Any lever by which a pivoting movement can be effected is contemplated, and will be recognized by a person having ordinary skill in the art as capable of being substituted for the preferred handle 20. The lever may alternatively be a structure that is translated along its axis in longitudinal movement, for example using a spring-loaded, elongated pin. Such a pin may be installed along the axis of the latch 52 for manual withdrawal from under a tooth along the axis of the pin, and replacement therein. The pin may have the ability to move laterally, such as against a bias, so that upon raising of the seat the pin is displaced laterally as the latch 52 is. Therefore, the lever can effect rotary or longitudinal movement that disengages an obstructing structure as described herein.
Lifting of the seat 12 may be assisted by the pneumatic spring 60 or any other spring or other mechanism, such as a pneumatic ram, that applies an upward force to the seat to reduce its effective weight, which is the force required to raise the seat. The effective weight may be about six to seven pounds, which is a weight that permits a user without the ability to raise a heavy seat to readily lift the seat 12. Furthermore, the process of lowering the seat is also improved by the reduction of the effective weight of the seat 12 caused by the spring 60, due to slowing of the seat movement downward due to the inherent function of a pneumatic spring.
In some embodiments, there are additional structural features that permit the user to adjust the horizontal position of the seat 12 relative to the base 14, or to adjust the horizontal position of the entire seating apparatus 10 relative to the exercise machine (not shown, but which may be any conventional exercise machine). In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 shown herein is mounted to, or used in close association with, an exercise machine such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,162,102 (Eder), and/or U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,509 (Eder), both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such mounting or close association may include the insertion of the end of the base 14 that is distal from the seat 12 into or beneath the exercise machine. This may mean that portions of the exercise machine are directly above and/or directly below the distal end of the base 14, or even in direct contact with the distal end of the base 14.
The apparatus 10 may have a horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 that permits the user to release a plunger 78 that retains the seat's horizontal position. This releases the apparatus 10 so the user may move the seat horizontally to a more desirable position. The mechanism 70 may include a finger 72 that extends radially from the handle link 38 as shown in the schematic view of
An elongated strip 80 may extend from rigid attachment to the exercise machine to beneath the base 14. The strip 80 may be an extension, or upwardly facing wall, of a base of the exercise machine. Alternatively, the strip 80 may be a cantilevered steel or aluminum plate that extends from the exercise machine to close proximity to the plunger 78. A plurality of apertures 82, of similar size to the plunger 78, may be formed in the strip 80 to permit insertion of the plunger when positioned over a respective aperture 82. Thus, by rotation of the handle 20, the plunger 78 may be withdrawn from an aperture 82 in which it is inserted, and the apparatus 10 may be pulled or pushed horizontally to move the apparatus 10 horizontally closer to, or farther from, the exercise machine. Upon movement to a more desired horizontal position, the handle 20 may be released and the plunger 78 will extend into an aperture 82 with which it is aligned. If the plunger 78 is not aligned with an aperture 82 when the handle 20 is released, the apparatus 10 may be pushed or pulled horizontally until the plunger 78 aligns with an aperture 82. Alternatively, the handle 20 may be rotated until the plunger 78 aligns with an aperture 82.
In contemplated alternative embodiments, the teeth 64 that are on the plates 32 and 34 of the embodiment of
In another contemplated embodiment, the pin that is spaced radially from the axis of rotation of the lever, which may be an L-shaped handle, is the obstructing structure that inserts into the gaps. The embodiment of
In the embodiment of
Raising the seat is similar to the embodiment of
This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intended principally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention and that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the invention or scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/809,221 filed Feb. 22, 2019.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200268157 A1 | Aug 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62809221 | Feb 2019 | US |