Exercise apparatus with incremental weight stack

• US 7,413,532 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenow, Charles J., Monsrud, Lon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg; Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ginsberg; Oren I
• Application Number:
  US10/831,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 482/92, 482/93, 482/94, 482/98, 482/99, 482/100, 482/101
• US Class Current: 482/99
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0628 for vertical array of weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/063 Weight selecting means

Abstract

Exercise apparatus has a weight stack for opposing a given exercise motion. The weight stack has a first set of a plurality of primary weights vertically stacked on each other, a primary weight selector having a plurality of settings selectively controlling the number of weights to be lifted during the exercise motion, a second set of a plurality of secondary weights, and a secondary weight selector having a plurality of settings selectively controlling the number of secondary weights to be lifted during the exercise motion, the secondary weights providing supplemental incremental weight.

Claims

1. Exercise apparatus comprising a weight stack for opposing a given exercise motion through a cable and pulley system, said weight stack comprising a first set of a plurality of primary weights vertically stacked on each other, a primary weight selector having a plurality of settings selectively controlling the number of primary weights to be lifted by said cable during said exercise motion, a second set of a plurality of secondary weights, a secondary weight selector having a plurality of settings selectively controlling the number of said secondary weights to be lifted by said cable during said exercise motion;

said primary weights are vertically stacked on each other in a first vertical stack, and said secondary weights are vertically stacked on each other in a second vertical stack;

said secondary weight selector comprises a bridge plate extending laterally from said first vertical stack and having an engagement member selectively engagable with said secondary weights such that said secondary weights are lifted by said bridge plate upon lifting of said primary weights by said cable;

said secondary weights have respective vertical legs extending upwardly adjacent said first vertical stack, said legs being selectively engagable by said engagement member of said bridge plate and providing said plurality of settings of said secondary weight selector.

2. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second vertical stack is laterally adjacent said first vertical stack.

3. The exercise apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said primary weights have a horizontal length along a longitudinal side, and a horizontal width along a lateral side, said horizontal length being greater than said horizontal width, and wherein said secondary weights in said second vertical stack are laterally adjacent said primary weights in said first vertical stack along said longitudinal side of said primary weights.

4. The exercise apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said horizontal length extends along a horizontal X-axis, said horizontal width extends along a horizontal Y-axis, said second vertical stack has a center of mass aligned with the center of mass of said first vertical stack along said Y-axis rather than said X-axis, to minimize the horizontal distance between the centers of mass of said first and second stacks.

5. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a first set of one or more guide members guiding the vertical path of movement of said primary weights, and a second set of one or more guide members guiding the vertical path of movement of said secondary weights.

6. The exercise apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first set of one or more guide members comprises one or more vertical guide rods captivating said primary weights and guiding and defining the vertical path of movement of said primary weights, and said second set of guide members comprises one or more vertical guide rods captivating said secondary weights and guiding and defining the vertical path of movement of said secondary weights.

7. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said legs have lower ends attached to respective vertically stacked said secondary weights such that lifting of a first secondary weight by its respective leg also lifts a second secondary weight thereabove.

8. The exercise apparatus according to claim 7 wherein selective engagement of said leg of said first secondary weight by said engagement member enables said lifting of said first secondary weight and said second secondary weight thereabove without engagement by said engagement member of the leg of said second secondary weight.

9. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said primary weights have a horizontal length along a longitudinal side, and a horizontal width along a lateral side, said horizontal length being greater than said horizontal width, and wherein said secondary weights in said second vertical stack are laterally adjacent said primary weights in said first vertical stack along said longitudinal side of said primary weights, and wherein said horizontal length extends along a horizontal X-axis, said horizontal width extends along a horizontal Y-axis, and wherein said legs of said secondary weights are aligned along said X-axis.

10. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a first set of one or more vertical guide rods captivating said primary weights and guiding and defining the vertical path of movement of said primary weights, a second set of one or more vertical guide rods captivating said secondary weights and guiding and defining the vertical path of movement of said secondary weights, and wherein said bridge plate is captivated by said second set of vertical guide rods, and wherein said second set of vertical guide rods guides and defines the vertical path of movement of said bridge plate.

11. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said secondary weight selector comprises a user knob rotational about a rotation axis between said plurality of settings, said user knob having a shaft extending axially therefrom along said rotation axis and journaled in said bridge plate, said shaft having an engagement pin radially offset therefrom and defining an arc about said rotation axis upon rotation of said user knob, said engagement pin providing said engagement member and engaging different of said legs during movement of said engagement pin along said arc during said rotation of said user knob.

12. The exercise apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said user knob has a plurality of clockface positions comprising a 3 o'"'"'clock position wherein said engagement pin engages the leg of a first of said secondary weights, a 6 o'"'"'clock position wherein said engagement pin engages the leg of a second of said secondary weights, a 9 o'"'"'clock position wherein said engagement pin engages the leg of a third of said secondary weights, and a 12 o'"'"'clock position wherein said engagement pin engages none of the legs of said secondary weights.

13. The exercise apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said user knob and said shaft are also axially translatable along said rotation axis to move said engagement pin into and out of engagement with a respective said leg.

14. The exercise apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said secondary weight selector is changed between said plurality of settings by axially translating said user knob in a first axial direction along said rotation axis from a first axial position to a second axial position, rotating said user knob about said rotation axis from a first rotational position to a second rotational position, axially translating said user knob in a second axial direction along said rotation axis from said second axial position to said first axial position, said second axial direction being opposite to said first axial direction, said engagement pin in said first axial position engaging a respective selected leg of a selected secondary weight, said engagement pin in said second axial position disengaging said selected leg.

15. The exercise apparatus according to claim 14 comprising a biasing member biasing said user knob to said first axial position.

16. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said secondary weight selector comprises a push-pull user knob assembly rotational about a rotation axis between said plurality of settings and axially translatable along said rotation axis in push-pull opposite axial directions to engage and disengage a selected secondary weight.

17. The exercise apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said user knob assembly is mounted to said first weight stack by a bridge plate having a yoke receiving said user knob assembly in push-pull relation, said yoke having a first detent, said user knob assembly comprises a user knob having a collar having a second detent, said user knob assembly being axially translatable along said rotation axis to a first axial position wherein said first and second detents engage in indexed nested relation, to index said user knob assembly to a given rotational position corresponding to one of said settings, said user knob assembly being axially translatable along said rotation axis to a second axial position axially separating said first and second detents to permit rotation of said user knob assembly about said rotation axis to a different of said settings.

18. The exercise apparatus according to claim 17 wherein one of said first and second detents comprises one or more slots, and the other of said first and second detents comprises one or more ribs matingly engaging a respective one of said slots in said first axial position of said user knob assembly and axially withdrawn from said slot in said second axial position of said user knob assembly.

19. The exercise apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said one or more slots extend radially relative to said rotation axis, and said one or more ribs extend radially relative to said rotation axis.

20. The exercise apparatus according to claim 19 comprising a plurality of radially extending said slots circumferentially spaced around said rotation axis.

21. The exercise apparatus according to claim 17 comprising a biasing member biasing said user knob assembly to said first axial position to maintain said collar on said yoke in indexed nested relation.