Patent Application
20160310785
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise machine equipped with a sensor device and, more particularly, to a spinning bike equipped with a sensor device.
2. Related Prior Art
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,145,480, 5,310,392, 5,324,242 and 6,569,063, an exercise machine can be equipped with a magnetic resistance device to adjustably increase resistance against a person who is working out on the exercise machine. A conventional magnetic resistance device includes a plurality of magnetic elements provided near a flywheel of a spinning bike for example. The magnetic elements are used to provide magnetic resistance against spinning of the flywheel.
However, the conventional magnetic resistance device is not equipped with any sensor device to provide a user with the value of the magnetic resistance. A user has to depend on his or her feeling to adjust the magnetic resistance by feeling.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,276, a sensor device is provided for a magnetic resistance device of a spinning bike or another exercise machine. This sensor device includes a stationary sensor IC 21 not in contact with a magnetic element 22. The magnetic element 22 is moved towards or away from the sensor IC 21 as the magnetic resistance device is moved towards or away from a flywheel. Hence, a signal is produced and sent to provide the user with the value of magnetic resistance exerted on the flywheel by the magnetic resistance device. However, the non-contact communication of the sensor IC 21 with the magnetic element 22 could be interrupted by electromagnetic waves that are abundant in our environment.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a spinning bike to provide readable resistance.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the pinning bike includes a flywheel connected to a frame, a magnetic resistance device to provide resistance against spinning of the flywheel, an adjustment assembly operable to move the magnetic resistance device relative to the flywheel, and a sensor device for measuring the value of the magnetic resistance.
The adjustment assembly includes a tube and a rod. The tube is secured to the frame and formed with a stop near a lower end and a cover near an upper end. The rod includes a pinion and a thread. The rod extends throughout the stop and cover of the tube. The thread and a portion of the pinion extend beyond the stop of the tube.
The sensor device includes a variable resistor, an axle connected to the variable resistor, a gear connected to the axle. The gear is engaged with the portion of the pinion that extends beyond the tube.
Moreover, the adjustment assembly includes a clip engaged with the rod, a compression spring provided around the rod, and a knob attached to the rod. The knob is located at an end of the rod while the thread is located at an opposite end of the rod. The clip and the compression spring are inserted in the tube. The compression spring is compressed between the clip and the stop of the tube to bias the rod back into its original position.
The magnetic resistance device includes two identical lateral plates, a connector for pivotally connecting the lateral plates to the frame near the flywheel, a torque spring provided around the connector and made with an end connected to the frame and another end connected to one of the lateral plates, and two groups of magnetic elements. Each group of magnetic elements is secured to a corresponding lateral plate, facing the flywheel.
The spinning bike further includes a brake and a sleeve. The brake is firmly located between the lateral plates. The sleeve includes, on an internal side, at an end, a thread engaged with the thread of the rod and connected to the brake at another end so that the brake can swing together with the lateral plates.
The electric resistance is changed by rotating the axle. The electric resistance is translated into the magnetic resistance exerted on the flywheel by the magnetic resistance device, and the value of the magnetic resistance can be shown on a display provided on the spinning bike or another exercise machine to enable a user to set the magnetic resistance at a desired value.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
The magnetic resistance device 20 includes two lateral plates 21, a connector 22, a torque spring 23 and two groups of magnetic elements 26. The connector 22 is used to pivotally connect the lateral plates 21 to the frame 10 so that the lateral plates 21 can swing.
The lateral plates 21 are identical to each other in shape. Each lateral plate 21 is formed with an internal side that faces the other lateral plate 21. Each group of magnetic elements 26 is attached to the internal side of a corresponding lateral plate 21 by adhesion for example. Each group of magnetic elements 26 is located near an end of the corresponding lateral plate 21 while the connector 22 is located near another end of the lateral plate 21. The torque spring 23 is provided around the connector 22. The torque spring 23 includes an end in contact with the frame 10 and another end in contact with one of the lateral plates 21. Thus, the torque spring 23 tends to swing the magnetic resistance device 20 about the connector 22 towards the flywheel 12.
Each group of magnetic elements 26 consists of three magnetic elements 26 that face the flywheel 12. Thus, the magnetic elements 26 exert magnetic resistance against the spinning of the flywheel 12 to reduce the speed of the spinning of the flywheel 12. Hence, a user has to cycle harder to retain the speed of the spinning of the flywheel 12. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetic elements 26 are permanent magnets.
The adjustment assembly 30 includes a tube 31, a rod 34, a clip 35 and a compression spring 36. A middle portion of the tube 31 is connected to the frame 10 by welding for example. The tube 31 is provided with an annular stop 32 at an end and provided with an annular cover 33 at another end.
The rod 34 is provided with a pinion 37 and a thread 38. The pinion 37 is provided on a middle portion of the rod 34. The pinion 37 is made with a diameter larger than that of the rod 34 but smaller than that of the stop 32 of the tube 31. The thread 38 is located next to the pinion 37. The thread 38 is located at an end of the rod while a knob 39 is secured to another end of the rod 34. The clip 35 is engaged with the rod 34 to keep the compression spring 36 around the pinion 37 of the rod 34.
The rod 34 extends throughout the tube 31. The clip 35 and the compression spring 36 are inserted in the tube 31. A portion of the pinion 37 extends beyond the stop 32 of the tube 31. The thread 38 is located out of the tube 31. The compression spring 36 is compressed between the stop 32 of the tube 31 and the clip 35. Hence, the rod 34 cannot be detached from the tube 31.
The sensor device 40 includes a circuit (not shown) electrically connected to a variable resistor 42. The variable resistor 42 is connected to a rotational axle 44. The axle 44 is connected to a gear 46 at an end. The gear 46 is engaged with the portion of the pinion 37 that extends beyond the tube 31.
The brake 50 is located between and connected to the lateral plates 21 by several fasteners 24 such as screws, rivets and pins. Thus, the brake 50 is secured to the magnetic resistance device 20. A sleeve 52 includes, on an internal side, at an end, a thread 54 engaged with the thread 38 of the rod 34. The sleeve 52 is pivotally connected, at another end, to a middle portion of the brake 50 by other fasteners 24. Thus, the brake 50 can swing together with the lateral plates 21.
Referring to
The pinion 37 is spun together with the rod 34. Accordingly, the gear 46 drives the axle 44 by an angle and hence changes the electric resistance of the variable resistor 42. The circuit of the sensor device 40 translates the electric resistance into the value of the magnetic resistance exerted on the flywheel 12 by the magnetic resistance device 20. The value of the magnetic resistance can be shown on a display (not shown) provided on an easily observable portion of the frame 10 to enable a user to know the value of the magnetic resistance.
Referring to
Of course, the clip 35 is moved towards the stop 32 of the tube 31 as well as the rod 34. Thus, the compression spring 36 is compressed. The deformation of the compression spring 36 is increased, and so is the stress loaded in the compression spring 36. The stress is used to return the rod 34 into an original position once the knob 39 is released from the large force.
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
