Integrated tilting display for exercise equipment consoles

• US 20070225119A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peter Schenk
• Original Assignee: Peter Schenk
• Inventors: Schenk, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/389,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00 Exercising apparatus for developing or strengthening the muscles or joints of the body by working against a counterforce, with or without measuring devices electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/00 Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; for particular parts of the body, e.g. to strengthen particular limbs or muscles A63B23/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/00 Exercising apparatus specially adapted for particular parts of the body A63B22/00 takes precedence; force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00; devices for exercising or strengthening of fingers, or arms in teaching operation of keyboards G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00

Abstract

An exercise console is disclosed as including a housing and a display incorporated into the housing. The display is adapted to align substantially parallel to the top surface of the housing. A tilt mechanism connects the display to the housing and is operable by a user to tilt the display to a nonparallel angle with respect to the housing. In another aspect in accordance with the invention, the exercise console includes a substantially fixed array of buttons incorporated into the housing. The buttons provide to a user various input options which are selectable in a pre-determined sequence by operation of the buttons to program the exercise console. Various indicators are associated with the buttons and inform the user which input options are next available for selection after the user has selected one or more input options.

Claims

1. An exercise console comprising:

a housing having a top surface;

a display incorporated into the housing and adapted to align substantially parallel to the top surface; and

a tilt mechanism connecting the display to the housing and operable by a user to tilt the display to a nonparallel angle with respect to the housing.

2. The exercise console of claim 1, wherein the tilt mechanism is selected from a hinge, a pin, a slide, and a land with a groove.

3. The exercise console of claim 2, wherein the tilt mechanism tilts the display with respect to a single axis of rotation.

4. The exercise console of claim 2, wherein the tilt mechanism tilts the display with respect to multiple axes of rotation.

5. The exercise console of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism to adjust the angle of the display with respect to the housing.

6. The exercise console of claim 5, wherein the adjustment mechanism is continuously adjustable between a first position and a second position.

7. The exercise console of claim 5, wherein the adjustment mechanism is adjustable at discrete intervals between a first position and a second position.

8. The exercise console of claim 1, wherein the housing is rigidly mounted to an exercise machine.

9. The exercise console of claim 1, wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen, a plasma display, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, and a digital light processing (DLP) display.

10. The exercise console of claim 1, further comprising a handle integrated into the display to facilitate gripping and tilting thereof by a user.

11. A method for displaying exercise and entertainment content to a user while exercising, the method comprising:

providing a housing having a top surface;

incorporating a display into the housing, the display aligning substantially parallel to the top surface; and

connecting the display to the housing with a tilt mechanism, the tilt mechanism operable by a user to tilt the display to a nonparallel angle with respect to the housing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tilt mechanism is selected from a hinge, a pin, a slide, and a land with a groove.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising tilting the display about a single axis of rotation.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising tilting the display about multiple axes of rotation.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising continuously adjusting the angle of the display with respect to the housing between a first position and a second position.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting the angle of the display with respect to the housing in discrete intervals between a first position and a second position.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising rigidly mounting the housing to an exercise machine.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen, a plasma display, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, and a digital light processing (DLP) display.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising integrating a handle into the display to facilitate gripping and tilting thereof by a user.

20. An apparatus comprising:

an exercise machine;

an exercise console rigidly mounted to the exercise machine, the exercise console comprising;

a housing having a top surface;

a display incorporated into the housing and adapted to align substantially parallel to the top surface, the display and housing comprising a single integrated unit; and

a tilt mechanism connecting the display to the housing and operable by a user to tilt the display to a nonparallel angle with respect to the housing.