Exercise machine and method for exercising the musculature of a limb that can be carried out through such a machine

• US 20050272575A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gianluca Melegati
• Original Assignee: Gianluca Melegati
• Inventors: Melegati, Gianluca
• Application Number:
  US11/082,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272575A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/110
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0421 the ends moving relatively by a pivoting arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0552 Elastic ropes or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4047 Pivoting movement weight pivoting A63B21/0615
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0233 in 90/90 position, like on a chair
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0238 with stretched legs, like on a bed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03541 Moving independently from each other A63B22/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0355 A single apparatus used for either upper or lower limbs, i.e. with a set of support elements driven either by the upper or the lower limb or limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0494 primarily by articulating the knee joints A63B23/0405, A63B23/0476 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1245 Primarily by articulating the shoulder joint A63B23/129 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1272 Rotation around an axis perpendicular to the frontal body-plane of the user, i.e. moving the arms in the plane of the body, to and from the sides of the body

Abstract

The invention refers to an exercise machine (1) comprising: a frame (2) adapted to support the machine (1) with respect to a supporting surface (8); at least one arm (4a, 4b) hinged to the frame (2) and comprising, at a distal end thereof, at least one engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) for an end of a user'"'"'s limb, such an engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) being adapted to describe a substantially curvilinear trajectory during the movement of the arm (4a, 4b); an applicator device (6) of a resisting force to said arm (4a, 4b).

The engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) is fixed to a carriage (41a, 41b) slidably associated with the arm (4a, 4b) along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arm (4a, 4b), and the applicator device (6) is associated with the carriage (41a, 41b) so as to apply a resisting force to the arm (4a, 4b) acting along a direction of application angularly staggered with respect to a plane locally tangent to the substantially curvilinear trajectory for at least a portion of said trajectory.

The invention also refers to a method for exercising the musculature of a user'"'"'s limb that can be carried out through such an exercise machine (1).

Claims

1. Exercise machine (1) comprising:

a frame (2) adapted to support said machine (1) with respect to a supporting surface (8);

at least one arm (4a, 4b) hinged to said frame (2) and comprising, at a distal end thereof, at least one engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) for an end (71) of a user'"'"'s limb (7), said at least one engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) being adapted to describe a substantially curvilinear trajectory (T) during the movement of said arm (4a, 4b);

an applicator device (6) of a resisting force (R) to said arm (4a, 4b);

characterised in that said at least one engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) is fixed to a carriage (41a, 41b) slidably associated with said arm (4a, 4b) along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arm (4a, 4b), and in that said applicator device (6) is associated with said carriage (41a, 41b) so as to apply a resisting force (R) to the arm (4a, 4b) along a direction of application angularly staggered with respect to a plane (π

) locally tangent to said substantially curvilinear trajectory (T) for at least a portion of said trajectory (T).

2. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein said applicator device (6) comprises at least one flexible transmission element (61a, 61b) extended between said carriage (41a, 41b) and a generator (61a, 61b) of the resisting force.

3. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 1, comprising angular adjusting means (9a, 9b) of the direction of application of the resisting force (R) with respect to said plane (π

) locally tangent to the curvilinear trajectory (T).

4. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 3, wherein said angular adjusting means (9a, 9b) comprise at least one deviator element (9a, 9b) slidably mounted in said frame (2) and acting on said at least one flexible transmission element (61a, 61b) to deviate the path thereof.

5. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 4, wherein said at least one deviator element (9a, 9b) is adjustably positionable along a direction substantially perpendicular to said supporting surface (8).

6. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 4, wherein said at least one deviator element (9a, 9b) comprises a roller.

7. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 3, wherein said angular adjusting means (9a, 9b) comprise a fastening point (44a, 44b) of a first free end of said flexible transmission element (61a, 61b), said fastening point (44a, 44b) being adjustably positionable on said carriage (41a, 41b) along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said arm (4a, 4b).

8. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 3, wherein said angular adjusting means (9a, 9b) comprise a plurality of fastening points (44a, 44b) of a first free end of said flexible transmission element (61a, 61b) defined on said carriage (41a, 41b) and spaced apart from each other along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said arm (4a, 4b).

9. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 8, wherein said fastening points (44a, 44b) are pitchwise spaced apart from each other.

10. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein said resisting force (R) is applied to said carriage (41a, 41b) along an initial direction of application forming an angle (α

) of between about 30° and

about 130°

with respect to said plane (π

) locally tangent to said curvilinear trajectory (T).

11. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 10, wherein said resisting force (R) is applied to said carriage (41a, 41b) along an initial direction of application forming an angle (α

) of between about 75° and

about 105°

with respect to said plane (π

) locally tangent to said curvilinear trajectory (T).

12. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein said generator of the resisting force (R) comprises adjusting means (62a, 62b) of the intensity of said resisting force.

13. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein said flexible transmission element (61a, 61b) is an elastic element and wherein said generator of the resisting force (R) essentially consists of the flexible transmission element (61a, 61b).

14. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 13, wherein said elastic element (61a, 61b) extends between at least one fastening point (243a, 243b, 251a) defined on said frame (2) and said carriage (41a, 41b) and is subjected to a predetermined pretensioning.

15. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 14, wherein said applicator device (6) of the resisting force (R) comprises at least one pair of idle pulleys (62a, 62b, 63a, 63b) of said flexible transmission element (61a, 61b), interposed between said fastening point (243a, 243b, 251a) and said carriage (2).

16. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said idle pulleys (62a, 62b, 63a, 63b) is adjustably positionable along a direction substantially parallel to said supporting surface (8).

17. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein said generator of the resisting force (R) comprises a plurality of weights adapted to be selectively associated with a second end of said flexible transmission element.

18. Exercise machine (1) according claim 2, wherein said generator of the force (R) comprises electrical drives.

19. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein said generator of the resisting force (R) comprises pneumatic drives.

20. Exercise machine (1) according to claim 2, wherein said generator of the resisting force (R) is an inertial force generator.

21. Method for exercising the musculature of a user'"'"'s limb (7) through an exercise machine (1) comprising a support frame (2), said method comprising the steps of:

a) engaging an engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b), positioned at a distal end of at least one arm (4a, 4b) hinged to said support frame (2) through an end (71) of the limb (7);

b) making said at least one arm (4a, 4b) of the exercise machine (1) rotate through the limb (7) so as to make the engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) describe a substantially curvilinear trajectory (T);

c) exerting a counteraction to the rotation of said at least one arm (4a, 4b) through an applicator device (6) of a resisting force (R) acting on said arm (4a, 4b) during at least a part of said step b) of rotation of said at least one arm (4a, 4b);

characterised in that it comprises the further step of;

d) translating said engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arm (4a, 4b) for at least a portion of said substantially curvilinear trajectory (T) and during at least a part of said step b) of rotation of said at least one arm (4a, 4b).

22. Method according to claim 21, wherein said at least one engagement element (42a, 42b, 43a, 43b) is fixed to a carriage (41a, 41b) slidably associated with said at least one arm (4a, 4b) and wherein said step d) is carried out by applying a resisting force (R) to the carriage (41a, 41b) along a direction of application angularly staggered with respect to a plane (π

) locally tangent to said curvilinear trajectory (T).