Fitness Equipment Energy Regenerating and Saving System

• US 20120007367A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rhymebus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rhymebus Corporation
• Inventors: CHANG, Cheng-Ching
• Granted Patent: US 8,772,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00178 for active exercising, the apparatus being also usable for passive exercising
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0053 using alternators or dynamos
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0054 for charging a battery
• 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 22/0023 the inclination of the main axis of the movement path being adjustable, e.g. the inclination of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/06 Controlling the motor in four quadrants
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/20 Controlling the acceleration or deceleration

Abstract

A fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system is provided. The system includes a bidirectional power converter, a bidirectional power drive, a generator, and an energy managing circuit. The energy managing circuit activates the bidirectional power converter so as to enable the bidirectional power drive to feedback the power generated by the generator to an electrical grid when the generator is operated in a generator mode. The energy managing circuit sets the bidirectional power converter to a current-regulating mode so as to enable the bidirectional power drive to obtain the power required for driving from the electrical grid when the generator is operated in a motor mode.

Claims

1. A fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system, comprising:

a bidirectional power converter having a plurality of power transistors, wherein one end of the bidirectional power converter is electrically connected to an electrical grid;

a bidirectional power drive, wherein one end of the bidirectional power drive is electrically connected to the other end of the bidirectional power converter;

a generator electrically connected to the other end of the bidirectional power drive for linking up a fitness equipment, the generator can be driven by the bidirectional power drive and performs as a motor; and

an energy managing circuit electrically connected to the bidirectional power converter, the bidirectional power drive and the generator for determining whether the generator is operated in a generator mode or a motor mode;

wherein the energy managing circuit activates the bidirectional power converter so as to enable the bidirectional power drive to feedback the power generated by the generator to the electrical grid when the generator is operated in the generator mode;

wherein the energy managing circuit sets the bidirectional power converter so as to enable the bidirectional power drive to obtain the power required for driving from the electrical grid when the generator is operated in the motor mode.

2. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 1, further comprising a battery electrically connected to the bidirectional power drive via the energy managing circuit for charging when the generator is operated in the generator mode, and for providing a DC power to the fitness equipment when the generator is operated in the motor mode.

3. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 2, further comprising an operating interface electrically connected to the energy managing circuit for setting a lower rotational speed limit at which the generator performs charging on the battery.

4. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional power converter comprises a bidirectional power transforming circuit and a bidirectional DC voltage converter.

5. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 4, wherein the bidirectional power transforming circuit is a full bridge rectifier circuit composed by four power transistors.

6. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 4, wherein the bidirectional power transforming circuit is a half bridge rectifier circuit composed by two power transistors.

7. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 4, wherein the bidirectional DC voltage converter is a buck boost circuit.

8. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 1, wherein the energy managing circuit comprises an energy conditioning circuit and a processing circuit.

9. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit further comprises:

a rotational speed detector for detecting a rotational speed of the generator under the generator mode;

a drive controlling module for optimizing the output voltage that the bidirectional power drive obtains from the generator and provides to the electrical grid in accordance with the rotational speed when the generator is under the generator mode, and for controlling the output current that the bidirectional power drive obtains from the electrical grid and provides to the generator to control the speed of the generator when the generator is under the motor mode;

a processing module for determining an output loading of the generator under the generator mode based on the rotational speed, the expected generating power of the generator and a parameter received by the operating interface that represents the requirement of a user when exercising, and for commanding the energy managing circuit to feedback the generated power transformed from the exercising of the user to the electrical grid via the bidirectional power converter in an alternating current manner; and

a voltage compensation module for collaborating with the energy conditioning circuit to control the output DC voltage of the bidirectional power drive.

10. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 9, wherein the drive controlling module is a pulse-width modulation (PWM) circuit.

11. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 9, further comprising an identification device electrically connecting the processing module for identifying the user.

12. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 9, further comprising a memory electrically connecting the processing module for storing the data of the generated power.

13. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 12, further comprising a communicating device electrically connecting the processing module for transmitting the data.

14. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 13, wherein the communicating device is a wireless device.

15. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 8, wherein the energy conditioning circuit provides at least two strategies to be selected by the processing circuit in the generator mode.

16. The fitness equipment energy regenerating and saving system of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional power drive activates the generator to be the motor in the motor mode, and thus to move the limbs of a user actively.