Rowing machine with video display
First Claim
1. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
- user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements, each stroke having a power portion and a return portion;
converting means for converting energy imparted to the user interface means during the power portion of a stroke into rotational displacement of a mass about its axis;
opposition force means for providing a force to oppose the rotational displacement of the mass means for determining the beginning of the power portion of the stroke; and
control means coupled to said opposition force means and responsive to the determining means for controlling the magnitude of said opposition force.
17 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved rowing exercising machine is disclosed. The machine has a mechanical apparatus for accepting user stroke movements; each stroke has a power portion and a return portion. The mechanical apparatus converts the energy from the user stroke movements into rotation of a flywheel. In order to closely simulate the feel of momentum in actual rowing activity, electronic circuitry is used to control a brake to apply a force to slow the motion of the flywheel. The amount of force supplied by the brake is independent of the speed at which the user is rowing the machine and is under software control. The brake force can be varied to additionally slow down the rotation of the flywheel during the return portion of a stroke. The rowing machine includes a video display which gives the user the sense of competitive scull racing. The display shows an animated rowing figure having stroke movement synchronized with the user stroke movements. A pacer rowing figure is also displayed. During the rowing exercise, the distance separating the rowing figures depends on the user stroke movements and on pre-set pacer motion.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
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user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements, each stroke having a power portion and a return portion; converting means for converting energy imparted to the user interface means during the power portion of a stroke into rotational displacement of a mass about its axis; opposition force means for providing a force to oppose the rotational displacement of the mass means for determining the beginning of the power portion of the stroke; and control means coupled to said opposition force means and responsive to the determining means for controlling the magnitude of said opposition force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
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user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements having a power portion and a return portion; means for converting the energy imparted to the user interface means during the power portion of the stroke into rotational displacement of a mass about its axis; opposition force means coupled to said converting means for providing a force to oppose the rotational displacement of the mass; stroke detecting means responsive to said user interface means for determining the beginning of the power portion of the stroke to provide a signal representative thereof; velocity sensing means responsive to said converting means for determining the angular velocity of the mass to provide a signal representative thereof; and control means coupled to said opposition force means and responsive to said stroke detecting signal and said velocity signal for controlling said opposition force means to oppose the rotational displacement of the mass with a first force during the power portion of a stroke and a second force during at least part of the return portion of a stroke. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An improved rowing exercise machine including:
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a user-engageable means capable of being displaced through stroke movements by a user; a shaft connected to the user-engageable means; a flywheel connected to the shaft for receiving and conserving angular momentum imparted to the shaft by the user engageable means; constant torque brake means connected to the shaft for resisting the angular rotation of the shaft means with a constant torque resistance independent of the speed of the user'"'"'s stroke movements; and beginning of stroke signalling means driven by said shaft for indicating the beginning of a portion of said stroke. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
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user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements; means for converting energy imparted to the user interface means into rotational displacement of a mass about its axis; means for providing a controllable brake force to oppose the rotational displacement of the mass about its axis; and electrical control means for controlling said brake force means to provide a brake force the magnitude of which is independent of the physical characteristics of the brake force means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
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user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements; means coupled to said user interface means for converting user stroke movements into simulated boat movement; means responsive to said boat simulating means for sensing the speed of simulated boat movement to provide a signal representative thereof; means for displaying a rowing scene with animated characters representing the user and a pace boat being depicted with respect to a background; means responsive to said speed sensing means for controlling the display means to scroll the background with respect to said animated characters at a scroll rate determined in response to the sensed speed and to vary the relative horizontal positions of the user and pace boat characters in accordance with variations of the sensed speed as compared to a reference speed. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A rowing exercise machine comprising:
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user interface means adapted to accept user stroke movements; means coupled to said user interface means for converting user stroke movements into simulated boat movement; means responsive to said converting means for detecting the beginning of a stroke; means for displaying a rowing scene with an animated character representing the user; means responsive to said beginning of stroke detecting means for controlling said display means to control the animation of the user character to stroke in synchronism with the user'"'"'s stroke movements. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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Specification