EXERCISE BIKE

• US 20100234185A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BowFlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nautilus, Inc.
• Inventors: Munson, Daniel S., Andrews, Kevin C., Watt, Jonathan B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0051 using eddy currents induced in moved elements, e.g. by permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/015 including rotating or oscillating elements rubbing against fixed elements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/225 with flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 22/0605 performing a circular movement, e.g. ergometers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/36 Speed measurement by electric or magnetic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only

Abstract

An exercise bike may include a magnetic braking system to resist rotation of a flywheel. The magnetic braking system may be magnets mounted on brackets selectively pivoted relative to the frame to increase or decrease the resistance opposing rotation of the flywheel. The brackets may be pivoted using a brake adjustment assembly joined to the brackets in such a manner that the magnetic forces resisting rotation of the flywheel increase or decrease in a proportional manner over at least a portion of the adjustment range of the brake adjustment assembly. The exercise bike may further include a console that displays information, such as power. The power may be estimated from a look-up table using the crank or flywheel speed of the exercise bike measured using a speed sensor and the tilt angle of the brackets relative to a reference point measured using a power sensor that includes an accelerometer.

Claims

1. An exercise bike, comprising:

a frame;

a drive train operatively associated with the frame;

a flywheel operatively associated with the drive train; and

a braking assembly comprising;

an adjustment member defining a longitudinal axis;

a magnetic brake comprising;

a first bracket joined to at least one first magnet, operatively associated with the frame, and positioned proximate the flywheel; and

a second bracket joined to at least one second magnet, operatively associated with the frame, and positioned proximate the flywheel; and

a link assembly including at least one link operatively associated with the adjustment member, the first bracket, and the second bracket; and

the adjustment member, the magnetic brake and the link assembly are configured such that rotation of the adjustment member around the longitudinal axis of the adjustment member moves the first bracket and second bracket via the at least one link between at least first and second positions where at the first position the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet at least partially overlap the flywheel to operatively associate the magnetic brake with the flywheel and at the second position the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet do not overlap the flywheel to operatively disassociate the magnetic brake with the flywheel.

2. The exercise bike of claim 1, wherein the adjustment member, the magnetic brake, and the link assembly are further configured such that for at least a portion of an adjustment range, an incremental rotation of the adjustment member causes a substantially proportional change in a resistance exerted by the magnetic brake on the flywheel.

3. The exercise bike of claim 1, wherein the link assembly further includes a link plate movably joined to the adjustment member, the at least one link is operatively associated with the adjustment member by pivotally joining the at least one link to the link plate, and the at least one link is operatively associated with the first bracket by pivotally joining the at least one link to the first bracket.

4. The exercise bike of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one link defines a link longitudinal axis;

in the second position, the link longitudinal axis extends at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the adjustment member; and

as the first and second brackets move from the second position to the first position, the at least one link pivots relative to the link plate and the first bracket in such a manner that the link longitudinal axis more closely aligns with the longitudinal axis of the adjustment member at the first position than at the second position.

5. The exercise bike of claim 1, further comprising a friction brake operatively associated with the adjustment mechanism for selective engagement with the flywheel.

6. The exercise bike of claim 1, wherein the flywheel includes an inner radial portion formed of a first type of material and an outer radial portion formed of a second type of material different than the first type of material.

7. The exercise bike of claim 6, wherein the second type of material comprises a non-ferrous, conductive material.

8. The exercise bike of claim 7, wherein the first type of material comprises steel and the second type of material comprises aluminum.

9. An exercise bike, comprising:

a frame;

a drive train operatively associated with the frame;

a flywheel operatively associated with the drive train;

a braking system operatively associated with flywheel; and

a power sensor operatively associated the braking system, the power sensor including an accelerometer that measures a position of the braking system relative to a predetermined reference point.

10. The exercise bike of claim 9, further comprising a speed sensor operatively associated with the flywheel to measure a speed of the flywheel.

11. The exercise bike of claim 10, the power sensor further comprising a transceiver configured to receive a signal indicating the speed of the flywheel.

12. The exercise bike of claim 11, the power sensor further comprising a microcontroller configured to receive the signal indicating the speed of the flywheel and a signal indicating the position of the braking system and to estimate a power based on the received signals.

13. The exercise bike of claim 12, further comprising a console configured to receive a signal indicating the estimated power and to display the estimated power.

14. A method for estimating a power of an exercise bike, comprising:

measuring a rotational speed of a flywheel of the exercise bike;

measuring a tilt angle of a magnetic brake operatively associated with the flywheel; and

estimating power using the measured rotational speed and the measured tilt angle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising measuring the tilt angle with an accelerometer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein estimating the power further comprises utilizing a look-up table containing power values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein estimating the power further comprises adjusting the power value obtained from the look-up table by at least one adjustment factor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is selected from a group consisting of a mechanical drag adjustment factor or a magnetic field adjustment factor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least of one the mechanical drag adjustment factor or the magnetic field adjustment factor is based on a spin down process.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein estimating the power further comprises measuring a change in the rotational speed of the flywheel and adjusting the power value obtained from the look-up table by an acceleration power associated with the change in the rotational speed of the flywheel.