Exercise apparatus with cartridge loading pulley swivel

• US 7,517,304 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Fitness LLC
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Atwood, Lee M., Miller, Aaron J., Nelson, Westin W., Swanson, Thor S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roland; Daniel F
• Application Number:
  US11/626,892
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 482 97-103, 298/92, 298/921, 298/980.7, 294/34, 403/113, 403/116
• US Class Current: 482/102
• 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 21/15 Arrangements for force transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/156 the position of the pulleys being variable, e.g. for different exercises

Abstract

Exercise apparatus and an assembly method therefor have a resistance-bearing cable running along an extension arm and trained around a pulley for bearing resistance for an exercise routine. The pulley is swivelable about a swivel axis along a shank mounted to the arm by a bearing housing cartridge supporting and locating the shank and insertable into a hollow end of the extension arm along an insertion direction coincident with the extension axis and the swivel axis and supporting the pulley for swiveling about the swivel axis along the shank.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus for exercising against a resistance comprising an extension arm extending along an extension axis and having a resistance-bearing cable running therealong for bearing resistance for an exercise routine, said extension arm having a swivel pulley mounted thereto, said cable being trained around said pulley, said pulley being swivelable about a swivel axis coincident with said extension axis, said pulley having a pulley wheel rotatable about a rotation axis normal to said swivel axis, said cable feeding out in one direction of rotation of said pulley wheel and taking up in the opposite direction of rotation of said pulley wheel, said pulley having a shank extending along said swivel axis and mounted to said arm by a bearing housing supporting and locating said shank and secured to said arm to support said pulley for swiveling about said swivel axis along said shank, wherein said arm is hollow, including at an end thereof, and said hollow arm guides said cable therethrough, including through said hollow end, and wherein said bearing housing is a cartridge insertable into said hollow end of said arm along an insertion direction coincident with said extension axis and said swivel axis, and comprising a rotation-limiter disk captured by said cartridge in anti-rotation relation about said swivel axis, said shank extending through said disk for rotation therein about said swivel axis, said shank having a shoulder engaging said disk in detent relation permitting rotation of said shoulder relative to said disk only along a limited arc, to limit rotation of said shank and said pulley wheel to a restricted arc about said swivel axis.

2. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of said disk and said shoulder has an arcuate slot formed therein, and the other of said disk and said shoulder has a tab extending axially into said slot, said slot having first and second distally arcuately spaced ends providing the ends of said limited arc of rotation upon engagement by said tab.

3. The exercise apparatus according to claim 1 comprising first and second bearings trapped between said shank and said cartridge, said bearings each having an inner race engaging said shank and an outer race engaging said cartridge, said cartridge having first and second annular recessed channels respectively receiving and locating said first and second bearings at respective said outer races thereof, said shank having a section with said shoulder fixed thereon between said pulley wheel and said cartridge, said disk being axially between said shoulder and said first bearing, said disk engaging said cartridge in keyed anti-rotation relation.

4. An assembly method for an exercise apparatus for exercising against a resistance having an extension arm extending along an extension axis and having a resistance-bearing cable running therealong for bearing resistance for an exercise routine, said extension arm having a swivel pulley mounted thereto, said cable being trained around said pulley, said pulley being swivelable about a swivel axis coincident with said extension axis, said pulley having a pulley wheel rotatable about a rotation axis normal to said swivel axis, said cable feeding out in one direction of rotation of said pulley wheel and taking up in the opposite direction of rotation of said pulley wheel, said assembly method comprising providing said pulley with a shank extending along said swivel axis, and mounting said shank to said arm by a bearing housing supporting and locating said shank and secured to said arm to support said pulley for swiveling about said swivel axis along said shank, providing said arm as a hollow arm, including at an end thereof, said hollow arm guiding said cable therethrough, including through said hollow end, and comprising providing said bearing housing as a modular cartridge receiving said shank therein, and comprising providing a rotation-limiter disk, and capturing said disk with said cartridge in anti-rotation relation about said swivel axis, extending said shank through said disk for rotation therein about said swivel axis, providing said shank with a shoulder and engaging said shoulder and said disk in detent relation and permitting rotation of said shoulder relative to said disk only along a limited arc, to limit rotation of said shank and said pulley wheel to a restricted arc about said swivel axis.

5. The assembly method according to claim 4 comprising providing one of said disk and said shoulder with an arcuate slot formed therein, providing the other of said disk and said shoulder with an axially extending tab, extending said tab axially into said slot, providing said slot with first and second distally arcuately spaced ends providing the ends of said limited arc of rotation upon engagement by said tab.