Gymnastic machine

• US 7,704,195 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Original Assignee: Technogym SpA
• Inventors: Roman, Maurizio, Casagrande, Simone, Alessandri, Nerio
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIDDER, ALLANA LEWIN
• Application Number:
  US11/603,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 482 97-102, 482/133, 482/135, 482/138, 482/93
• US Class Current: 482/99
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00072 by changing the length of a lever
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/06 User-manipulated weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/154 using special pulley-assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4017 to the upper limbs

Abstract

A gymnastic machine having a frame (10) supporting a load group (30), and at least one gripping station (80) presenting a respective implement (20) for the execution of a physical exercise, with the load group (30) connected to each implement (20) by at least one flexible member (40) supported by the frame (10) through a plurality of pulley-blocks (50) along a route (P), at least one implement (20) connected to flexible member (40) at the respective gripping station (80), and a return device (90) being connected to each implement (20) to restrain the implement (20) itself along the route (P) in at least one uniquely determinate position (DP) with respect to frame (10) in a indefinitely repeatable manner.

Claims

1. A gymnastic machine comprising:

a load group;

at least one gripping station having an implement for the execution of a physical exercise;

a frame supporting the load group and the at least one gripping station, said load group being connected to the implement by a respective cable supported by said frame through a plurality of pulley-blocks along at least one route, with the implement being connected to the respective cable in a freely sliding manner at the at least one gripping station; and

return means to selectively restrain the implement along a respective route in at least one determinate position of abutment with a respective fixed counterpart associated to the frame, wherein said return means are suitable, in use, to connect the implement to said frame by means of a magnetic coupling.

2. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said return means includes at least one magnetic member.

3. The machine according to claim 2, wherein the implement includes said magnetic member.

4. The machine according to claim 2, wherein the implement includes a magnetic-sensitive member to be coupleable directly or indirectly to said frame under the action of a magnetic force of attraction.

5. The machine according to claim 1, wherein said respective fixed counterpart includes at least one of said plurality of pulley-blocks.

6. The machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

centering means capable of cooperating with the implement to align and keep aligned, in use, the implement and each cable using a respective pulley-block carried by said frame.

7. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said centering means includes:

a first axially symmetrical surface carried by the implement; and

a second axially symmetrical surface carried by each pulley-block, wherein said first and second surfaces are profiled in a conjugate manner so as to be coupleable to each other in a coaxial manner, and to cause an alignment of each cable and the implement in a respective determinate position.

8. The machine according to claim 6, wherein said first and second surfaces have conical profiles.

9. A locking device for a gymnastic machine, with the gymnastic machine having a load group and at least one gripping station, with the gripping station including a respective implement for the execution of a physical exercise, the locking device comprising:

a frame supporting the load group and the at least one gripping station, said load group being connected to the implement by a respective cable supported by said frame through a plurality of pulley-blocks along at least one route, with the implement being connected to each respective cable in a freely sliding manner at the at least one respective gripping station; and

return means to selectively restrain the implement along a respective route in at least one determinate position of abutment with a respective fixed counterpart associated to the frame, wherein said return means are suitable, in use, to connect the implement to said frame by means of a magnetic coupling.

10. The locking device according to claim 9, wherein said return means includes at least one magnetic member.

11. The locking device according to claim 10, wherein the implement includes said magnetic member.

12. The locking device according to claim 10, wherein the implement includes a magnetic-sensitive member to be coupleable directly or indirectly to said frame under the action of a magnetic force of attraction.

13. The locking device according to claim 9, further comprising:

centering means capable of cooperating with the implement to align and keep aligned, in use, the implement and each cable using a respective pulley-block carried by said frame.

14. The locking device according to claim 13, wherein said centering means includes:

a first axially symmetrical surface carried by the implement; and

a second axially symmetrical surface carried by each pulley-block, wherein said first and second surfaces are profiled in a conjugate manner so as to be coupleable to each other in a coaxial manner.

15. The locking device according to claim 14, wherein said first and second surfaces have conical profiles.

16. A method for the restoration of a predetermined configuration of a gymnastic machine having:

a load group;

at least one gripping station having an implement for the execution of a physical exercise;

a frame supporting the load group and the at least one gripping station, said load group being connected to the implement by a respective cable supported by said frame through a plurality of pulley-blocks along at least one route, with the implement being connected to the respective cable in a freely sliding manner at the at least one gripping station; and

return means to selectively restrain the implement along a respective route in at least one determinate position of abutment with a respective fixed counterpart associated to the frame, wherein said return means are suitable, in use, to connect the implement to said frame by means of a magnetic coupling, the method comprising the step of;

restraining the implement at a respective gripping station with respect to a reference member by using the return means.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said restraining step is preceded by a step of:

putting under tension at least one flexible member being connected in a sliding manner to the implement.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of restraining the implement in each respective gripping station with respect to a respective reference member using a magnetic connection includes the step of:

causing a coaxial connection between the implement and each respective reference member to minimize the noisiness of a relative movement between each flexible member and the implement.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said return means includes at least one magnetic member.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the implement includes said magnetic member.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the implement includes a magnetic-sensitive member to be coupleable directly or indirectly to said frame under the action of a magnetic force of attraction.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the machine further comprises centering means capable of cooperating with the implement to align and keep aligned, in use, the implement and each cable using a respective pulley-block carried by said frame, wherein said centering means includes:

a first axially symmetrical surface carried by the implement; and

a second axially symmetrical surface carried by each pulley-block, wherein said first and second surfaces are profiled in a conjugate manner so as to be coupleable to each other in a coaxial manner, and to cause an alignment of each cable and the implement in a respective determinate position.