Patent Application
20140357456
The invention, refers to a device for training the body of a user, including a mechanism arranged to be operated by limbs of the user.
Such devices, e.g. so-called crosstrainers, are, in general, in use in fitness centres or sport schools for condition or strength training. Crosstrainers (see http://goo.gl/M579N or http://goo.gl/fC3ym) are devices provided with a combination of foot pedals and movement arms, by means of which a flywheel configuration can be driven by the user. By means of the foot pedals the apparatus (i.e. the flywheel configuration) is brought into and kept in movement, wherein the movement arms move along with the foot pedals. The movement arms are not primarily used to bring the apparatus into and keep in movement. The strength is especially originating from and exercised by the user's legs, exercising a circular/elliptic driving movement to the foot pedals or foot bars, due to which the known crosstrainer is fit for condition training but not for strength and muscle training (the flywheel configuration is mainly actuated/driven by the foot pedals or foot bars and the arm movements are mainly auxiliary/dependent).
The invention aims to propose a new device, wherein the flywheel (configuration) is brought into movement (and kept in movement) by means of (maximum) two movement arms (or levers) and—contrary to crosstrainers—not by means of foot pedals or foot bars and (dependently moving) hand levers. By exerting a push-and-pull movement of (only) the hands/arms—or possibly (only) the feet/legs—to the (maximum of two) movement arms (levers) much more strength and muscle power must be used by the user of the new device in comparison to the known devices provided with arm and leg levers (and where, besides, the legs exercise cyclic actuation movements, driving the flywheel(s)).
The device according to the present invention has no foot pedals like the known devices (crosstrainers) and, preferably, can be actuated and operated both horizontally and vertically: the movement arms can move then forward/backward or upward/downward. This optional feature according to the device proposed by the invention is not possible in the known devices, which are driven by foot pedals or by a combination of legs and arms (a combination of foot pedals or bars and arm levers).
The invention thus provides a device for training the body of a user, comprising a mechanism arranged to be operated by the limbs (maximum two at the same time) of the user, which mechanism is provided with (no more than) two levers which are to be operated by the user, which levers are in connection with means arranged to exercise force to those levers, where the mechanism includes a flywheel configuration linked to said two levers and the flywheel configuration is actuated/driven by periodic push and/or pull forces exercised by the user's two limbs to those two levers.
Preferably, two levers linked to the flywheel configuration are arranged such that the levers move dependently of each other and in opposite phase. Furthermore the mechanism preferably comprises means for varying the rotation resistance of the flywheel configuration, for example by an adjustable brake shoe or brake band around the flywheel. Preferably, e.g. by means of oil or air cylinders with adjustable leak, means may be provided for varying the motion resistance of said two levers.
The mechanism may be arranged so that one or both levers make a movement in a mainly geometrical flat plane or possibly in a geometrically bent plane.
Preferably, the device is provided with means arranged to set, move or mount either the mechanism including the two levers or the whole device (including its housing) into different positions with respect to its underground. Preferably said means are arranged to provide that the mechanism and/or the device can be moved or mounted such that the two levers can be actuated by the user at choice either in mainly forward/backward or in upward/downward direction. The device may include a housing, which is fit to cooperate with a ground frame and arranged to be connected to the frame in various different positions, horizontally, vertically or slanted to the floor. Also use can be made of a tilting mechanism arranged to move the mechanism (including the levers) and/or the complete device into various desired positions.
The levers can be arranged to be actuated by the user's hands or, possibly, by the user's feet, however, not simultaneously by the user's legs and arms as in well-known devices.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention each lever is hinged at a first location to the fixed frame of the device, whereas each lever is linked at a second location by means of a connection rod to the flywheel configuration.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the flywheel configuration of the device comprises a freewheel mechanism.
Advantageously the mechanism comprises a crank, a crank axle and connecting rods, mounted between the crank and the levers, wherein an auxiliary mechanism provides momentum to the crank in de dead centre positions of the connecting rods on the crank.
In particular the auxiliary mechanism comprises a cam on the crank axle and a spring-loaded follower on the cam surface; preferably the follower comprises a support lever, a wheel and a spring; more preferably the spring is a torsion spring mounted between an end of the support lever and the device frame.
With these measures the dead centre positions, being responsible for the (to the user) unpleasant non-smooth movement of the levers in their extreme positions, are forcibly counteracted by a momentum exerted on the cam plate and the coupled crank axle.
With the device according to the invention the following practical advantages are reached:
Time Profit
Condition- and strength training is carried out with this apparatus in one movement. At the current form of fitness nearly all muscles and the condition is trained separately from each other and approx. 60-90 minutes is needed for a complete training. With the device according to the invention condition, strength and several muscle groups of the body are trained in one movement (and one apparatus). A complete effective training can be done in only 10-15 minutes.
Preventing of Injuries and Overload
The new device presented here prevents/limits injuries and overload of muscles and/or joints. In the current form of strength training one trains on devices with weights. To make the movement more difficult one must increase the weight. Training with weights is on itself already incriminating. The heavier the weight the more incriminating this becomes for the muscles and joints. In consequence overload and injuries occur regularly. Also many movements are needed to train/charge a muscle group. Many people, in particular new customers, do not know the right movements and frequently copy their movements from others. This, however, need not to be the correct movements. Also because of this injuries and overload of muscles and joints (among other things back pain) occur regularly.
By use of the new device for strength training presented here, only one determined movement is used. A wrong movement is excluded because of this. By the fluent and natural push and pull movement and by gradually increasing the resistance, overload and injuries are prevented.
Fit for Rehabilitation
This apparatus is ideal for rehabilitation. The fluent, continuing repetitive movement and the gradually increasing resistance makes this apparatus ideal for rehabilitation training. The muscles will be made gradually stronger with this apparatus. For people with restrictions of the lower part of the body (knees, hips etc.) this apparatus offers very good and more extended possibilities in doing condition training. With the current apparatuses condition training is generally only possible by actively moving legs or a combination of legs and arms. This new apparatus offers the possibility of training the condition with only the arms or only with the legs.
Arranged for Young People
In the current form of strength training insufficient account is taken with young people. It has not desirable for young people to train with (heavy) weights. Due to the natural push and pull movements, the device according to the invention is a good alternative for persons who want to do fitness/strength training.
Arranged for the Elderly
This apparatus is suitable for all age groups. However specific for the elderly this apparatus offers the possibility of keeping and reinforcing the muscles and muscle functions optimum in a natural way of movement. Especially for the elderly natural movement is very important.
More Effective Training/Faster Result
Not only by the combination of condition and strength training but especially by the fluent repetitive movement, duration training for the muscles is realised. This includes that a faster strength increase and combustion will be realised than using the current form of strength training.
The use of no more than two driving levers is essential in the present invention, with which (two) levers, actuated by two arms or two legs of the user (never his/her arms and legs at the same time), a flywheel (configuration) is driven via connection rods linked between the flywheel configuration and the levers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,486 discloses a training apparatus comprising two arms, where, however, each of them must (simultaneously) be operated by both arms and legs of the user (each lever has a hand grip and a foot pedal). In this well-known apparatus a flywheel is operated via connection rods linked to a large pulley. By means of a belt between the large pulley and a small pulley, which is attached to the flywheel, the movement of the levers is transferred to the flywheel. This arrangement of two connecting rods positioned 180° apart on a pulley or crank has the disadvantage that two dead centre positions are obtained when the levers, moving in opposite phase, are in their extreme positions. These dead centre positions also cause a non-smooth movement of the levers in their extreme positions, which is unpleasant for the user. Furthermore the training apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,486 suffers from the disadvantage that the user must stop the movement of flywheel and the linked levers by applying considerable effort.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,099 discloses another training apparatus, which must be operated with the legs of the user. In this well-known apparatus belts and belt wheels are used for operating a flywheel.
The invention, preferably, provides means which are arranged to enable to put (move/mount) the training apparatus into different positions, thus enabling the apparatus to be fit for training various, completely different muscle groups. Such means arranged for (dynamically or more statically) setting the training apparatus into different positions is also neither known from nor suggested in any of said disclosures. Provisions to enable setting the (base) apparatus into different positions forms an important aspect of the invention: because of this aspect various, completely different muscle groups can be trained with the same (base) training apparatus, set/mounted in different (horizontal, vertical) positions.
In this way a range of fitness apparatuses, as it were, can be formed, where every apparatus from that range is based on the same principle and uses basically the same basis module, however provided with means by which (the basis module of) the training apparatus can be put into different positions, as a result of which several muscle groups can be trained, always by bringing into movement and keeping in movement a flywheel with adjustable resistance and using (in all cases) not more than two back-and-forth or up-and-down moving actuation levers.
Every model in the range—formed by the (base) training apparatus mounted/established in its different positions—requires a specific physical body attitude (posture) of its user, invites or challenges the user to exercise a specific movement or appeals to a specific muscle group.
The ongoing repetition of the movements of the arms or legs keeping the flywheel in rotation, stimulates the blood circulation, raises the condition, ensures fat combustion in the concerning muscle group and promotes, in case of injuries, rehabilitation in the concerning muscle group. The range of apparatuses can be used by all target groups: young people, elderly, disabled, injured, beginning and advanced users. By aggravating the resistance of the flywheel the muscle strength and muscle mass is stimulated.
The flywheel principle was so far applied within the cardio area of the fitness branch. It becomes also applied now within the strength training and bodybuilding area. In this way the flywheel principle can mainly or even completely replace training with weights. Strength training is no longer characterized by lifting weights, but putting into and keeping in rotation a flywheel with controlled rotation resistance. An additional aspect is that the risk of injuries will be reduced. Moreover, any (psychological and/or physical) threshold to strength training (which rather has a macho imago) is considerably reduced. Particularly for women this will be of importance: it is much more attractive for women now to train their abdomen, buttocks, legs and arms.
Hereafter the invention will further be discussed by means of some exemplary embodiments, with reference to some figures.
a-b show schematically two alternatives of the same exemplary embodiment of the device, by tilting of the housing established for performing up and downward movements of the arms of the user;
The
Further, a locking plate 15 is visible, provided for locking the head part of the housing 8. Furthermore two elongated stationary handrails 16 are provided at both sides of the housing 8, and a movable body support 17. The levers 3 are each provided with a handgrip 18 and with a transversely placed footrest 19.
In order to overcome both dead centre positions due to the arrangement of the two connecting rods 5 180° apart (moving in opposite phase) on the pulley crank 30, the dead centres being responsible for the (to the user) unpleasant non-smooth movement of the levers in their extreme positions, an auxiliary mechanism is provided acting on the crank axle 33. The auxiliary mechanism provides an additional force onto the crank axle 33 dependent upon the position of the connecting rods 5 on the crank 30. Because for each revolution of the crank 30 two dead centres point must be passed, the auxiliary mechanism must act in a twice as high frequency as the rotational frequency of the crank 30. This can be accomplished, for example, by driving a (sprocket) wheel in double ratio by a chain or a belt, the wheel being provided eccentrically with a spring attached to the frame 8 or housing of the device. In an alternative embodiment of the auxiliary mechanism, shown in
The housing 8 incl. the mechanism 2 can be mounted and then bolted in several positions on the base plate 13 by using the slides 14.
a shows the same device, where the housing 8 is tilted now over 90° and thus mounted vertically on the base plate 13, as a result of which the two levers 3 are located mainly above the torso of the user 1 and must be moved (curvilinearly) up and down. The user 1 can carry out this movement sitting, by means of sitting module 20 that is also introduced between the slides 14 and then fixed.
b shows the same device, where the tilted housing 8 is mounted now so that the two levers 3 must be moved up and down by the user 1 below the user's torso. The user 1 can perform this movement by sitting on a sitting module 20′ that in this case is extended with a console (left part in the figure) on which the vertical housing 8 has been mounted. In this implementation the levers 3 are located therefore lower than in the (vertical) implementation shown in
In the various implementations in fact always the same module is used, substantially formed by the housing 8 and the mechanism 2, including the levers 3, the flywheel configuration 4, the connection rods 5 etc., however adapted so that the user 1 must carry out different movements, as a result of which several muscle and related body functions can be trained. Be-low an overview of the various different muscle groups follows which can be trained in the different embodiments/configurations of the device, successively shown in the
Position apparatus: horizontal
Movement: forward push movement and a simultaneously backward pull movement
Active muscles:
Arm muscles; triceps, biceps and forearm muscles.
Position apparatus: vertical, movement arms up
Movement: upward push movement and a simultaneously downward pull movement
Active muscles:
Position apparatus: vertical, movement arms on sitting level or something higher
Movement: upward pull movement and a simultaneously downward push movement
Active muscles:
Position apparatus: horizontal, legs
Movement: forward push movement of the one leg and a simultaneous returning movement of the other leg
Active muscles:
Finally still some figures showing an improved design of a number of the above discussed configurations will briefly be discussed.
Finally,
Thus the invention provides a training apparatus (or an integrated series of training apparatuses always using the same base module) which is intended and arranged for condition training and strength training, in particular intended for average and in a certain way somewhat vulnerable user groups which, by using this new apparatus, can improve, within limited time, their condition and muscle strength substantially without chance on injuries or overload. To this end the apparatus provides the means to train only (maximum) two limbs always by means of a fluent and regular movement, with which both muscles and the heart and lung functions are perfectly trained
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1039309 | Jan 2012 | NL | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NL2003/000001 | 1/21/2013 | WO | 00 | 7/19/2014 |
