Exercise machine with controllable resistance

• US 6,652,429 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond B Bushnell
• Original Assignee: Nautilus, Inc.
• Inventors: Bushnell, Raymond B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donnelly, Jerome W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, VICTOR KENNY
• Application Number:
  US09/919,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 482/92, 482/99, 482/100, 482/121-123, 482/127-130, 482/111-113, 482/135-137
• US Class Current: 482/128
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00072 by changing the length of a lever
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/028 made of material having high internal friction, e.g. rubber, steel wool, intended to be compressed resistance provided by plastic deformable materials A63B21/00189
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0617 with a changing moment as a function of the pivot angle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/156 the position of the pulleys being variable, e.g. for different exercises

Abstract

An exercising machine wherein a cable pull is resisted by spring deflection. The cable is connected to a lift arm that is pivotally fixed and carries a lift roller. The lift roller abuts a pivotally mounted bar and urges pivotal movement of the bar opposed by a spring member. The connection of the cable to the pivotal lift arm, the position of the lift roller relative to the lift arm pivot, the engagement of the roller with the pivotal bar and the engagement of the spring member with the pivotal bar all involving lever advantages that can be manipulated to achieve varying shapes of resistance of the cable pull as felt by the user.

Claims

1. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected; and

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism, said coupling arrangement including a pivot arm in sliding abutment with said bar and pivoted by said user movement to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted to thereby counter the increasing resistance of the spring member.

2. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected; and

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism, said coupling arrangement configured to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted to thereby counter the increasing resistance of the spring member;

said spring member includes an elastomer cylinder having opposed ends, one end connected to said frame and the other end engaging the bar and compressed between the frame and bar as a result of pivotal movement of the bar.

3. An exercising machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said elastomer cylinder is confined in a telescoping tube, said cylinder pre-compressed with said tube fully extended whereat the bar is in a relaxed state allowing the opposed end of the tube to be movable along the bar length to alter the lever advantage of the spring resistance.

4. An exercising machine as defined in claim 3 including a lock member for locking and unlocking said opposed end of the tube at a selected position along the bar length.

5. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected; and

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism, said coupling arrangement configured to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted to thereby counter the increasing resistance of the spring member;

said interconnecting mechanism includes a lift arm pivotally mounted proximal to the distal end of said bar, a cable at least in part connecting the distal end of said lift arm to the paraphernalia, an abutment member abutting said bar at a position spaced from the bar pivot, said abutment member carried by said lift arm to be pivoted against the bar by pivoting of said lift arm for pivoting of the bar and compressing said spring member all as a result of a user moving an exercising paraphernalia.

6. An exercising machine as defined in claim 5 wherein said abutment member as pivoted by said lift arm movingly engages said bar along a bar edge segment, said bar edge segment defining a cam edge and said cam edge and the pivotal movement of said abutment member cooperatively arranged and configured to produce at lest in part said changing lever advantage.

7. An exercising machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said edge and the pivotal movement of said abutment member are cooperatively arranged and configured to shape the resistance felt by a user throughout movement of said exercising paraphernalia.

8. An exercising machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the bar edge segment is provided by a cam edge carrier mounted to the bar, said carrier provided with multiple and differing cam edges, said carrier shiftable relative to the abutment member to place a selected one of said multiple cam edges into engagement with said abutment member.

9. An exercise machine as defined in claim 8 wherein the abutment member is a roller carried by a pivot arm and having a pivot axis pivotally connected to the lift arm axis for common pivoting of said pivot arm with pivoting of said lift arm.

10. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected;

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism, said coupling arrangement configured to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted to thereby counter the increasing resistance of the spring member;

the coupling arrangement includes a first gear having gear teeth and axially mounted proximal to the distal end of the bar and defining a gear axis, an abutment member carried by the gear spaced from the gear axis and in abutment with the bar, and an actuator operable by a user to actuate rotation of the first gear to force the abutment member against the bar.

11. An exercising machine as defined in claim 10 wherein said actuator is a lever secured to said first gear, said lever being extended to a user location for engagement by a user for direct pivoting of the lever.

12. An exercising machine as defined in claim 11 wherein a second gear having gear teeth engages the gear teeth of the first gear, said lever connected to said second gear to pivot said second gear and accordingly the first gear, said first and second gears having a gear reduction relation.

13. An exercising machine as defined in claim 10 wherein the actuator is a pulley having a cable wound around the pulley and connected to said exercising paraphernalia, a second gear in engagement with said first gear, said pulley and second gear having coaxial and fixed relation whereby rotation of the pulley produces rotation of the second gear.

14. An exercising machine comprising:

a cable and cable guide arrangement for cable pull by a user desiring to exercise, the cable pull by the user defining a first direction of cable pull;

a pivotal bar and a compressible spring member engageable with the bar and inherently providing increased resistance as compression of the spring increases;

a coupling arrangement coupling the spring member to the cable, said coupling arrangement including a pivot arm pivoted by the cable pull and as pivoted slidably engaging the bar to urge the bar in a direction opposite the spring member, said slidable engagement changing the lever advantage to counter the increasing resistance of the spring member.

15. An exercising machine as defined in claim 14 wherein said slideable engagement defines a removable bar segment that is replaceable to enable a user to shape the resistance to cable pull felt by a user.

16. An exercising machine as defined in claim 14 wherein said compression spring is adjustable along the length of the bar to change lever arm advantage of the spring member resistance.

17. An exercising machine as defined in claim 16 wherein a pivot arm having a pivot axis is pivotally urged by the cable pull, a distal end of said pivot arm applying a lifting force against the bar when pivoted by said cable pull that changes the direction of applied force as the pivot arm is pivoted to increase leverage of the cable pull and thereby oppose increased resistance of the spring member.

18. An exercising machine as defined in claim 17 wherein the pivot arm engagement of the bar moves along a bar edge during pivoting of the pivot arm and defines an engagement section of the bar, said engagement section having a plurality of differing and interchangeable engagement sections and shift mechanism shifting a selected one of said engagement sections into engagement with the pivot arm for selective resistance to cable pull as felt by the user.

19. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected; and

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism, said coupling arrangement including a pivot arm having sliding engagement with said bar to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted, such that the resistive force experienced by the user increases as said bar pivots during said movement of the exercising paraphernalia.

20. An exercising machine for a user comprising:

a support frame;

a bar pivotally connected to the frame and defining a bar pivot;

exercising paraphernalia;

interconnecting mechanism connecting said bar to said exercising paraphernalia whereby user movement of the paraphernalia produces pivoting of said bar;

a spring member engaging said bar and resisting pivotal movement of said bar through resisted deflection of the spring member, said spring member inherently providing increased resistance as the spring member is increasingly deflected; and

a coupling arrangement forming at least a part of said interconnecting mechanism;

said coupling arrangement including a pivot arm slidably engaging the bar to produce a changing lever advantage as the bar is pivoted, such that the resistive force experienced by the user decreases as said bar pivots during said movement of the exercising paraphernalia.