Arm assembly for exercise devices

• US 7,775,945 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BowFlex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nautilus, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew; Fenn C
• Application Number:
  US11/301,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20060128535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 482 93-103, 482135-138
• US Class Current: 482/100
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/155 Cam-shaped pulleys or other non-uniform pulleys, e.g. conical
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4035 for operation by hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4043 Free movement, i.e. the only restriction coming from the resistance A63B21/00043, A63B21/072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4047 Pivoting movement weight pivoting A63B21/0615
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/09 Adjustable dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03525 Supports for both feet or both hands performing simultaneously the same movement, e.g. single pedal or single handle A63B21/0724 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03533 With separate means driven by each limb, i.e. performing different movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/12 for upper limbs or related muscles, e.g. chest, upper back or shoulder muscles bench press exercises A63B21/078; for teaching music G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1245 Primarily by articulating the shoulder joint A63B23/129 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1263 Rotation about an axis passing through both shoulders, e.g. cross-country skiing-type arm movements

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention involve an exercise device with an arm assembly that provides linear, converging, and/or diverging hand grip motions during use and also has an adjustable starting position. The arm assemblies described and depicted herein include arm members that are pivotally coupled with a frame of an exercise device. During exercise, the arm members engage an arcuate surface defining the arm path. The arcuate surfaces which guide the converging and/or diverging hand grip motions as the arms pivot relative to the frame. Some embodiments of the present invention include a releasable locking mechanism that allows a user to pivot the arm members to a desired starting position without altering the relative positions of the hand grips.

Claims

1. An exercise device comprising:

a frame;

a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the frame for relative movement therewith;

a first arm and a second arm supported on the drive shaft and selectively engageable therewith;

a guide supported on the frame and defining an arm path; and

an adjustment mechanism that selectively engages and disengages the first and second arms with the drive shaft and selectively engages and disengages the guide with the frame, wherein the adjustment mechanism operates to disengage the first and second arms from the drive shaft when the first and second arms move from a first initial position to a second initial position and thereafter engages the first and second arms to the drive shaft for movement of the first and second arms along the arm path.

2. The exercise device of claim 1, wherein operation of the adjustment mechanism further disengages the guide from the frame so that the guide moves relative to the frame when the first and second arms move from the first initial position to the second initial position.

3. The exercise device of claim 2, wherein operation of the adjustment mechanism further engages the guide to the first and second arms and the guide moves with the first and second arms when the first and second arms move from the first initial position to the second initial position.

4. The exercise device of claim 3, further comprising a selectable resistance operatively associated with the drive shaft, wherein movement of the first and second arms when the first and second arms are engaged with the drive shaft moves the drive shaft against the resistance as the first and second arms move along the arm path and movement of the first and second arms when the first and second arms are disengaged from the drive shaft does not move the drive shaft against the resistance.

5. The exercise device of claim 1, further comprising an initial distance between a grip portion of the first arm and a grip portion of the second arm when the first and second arms are at an initial position, wherein the initial distance is substantially equal when the first and second arms are in the first initial position and in the second initial position.

6. The exercise device of claim 5 further comprising a forward distance that is a distance between the grip portion of the first arm and the grip portion of the second arm when the first and second arms are located at a forward position and wherein the arms move from the initial position to the forward position during operation of the exercise device, and wherein the forward distance is not equal to the initial distance.

7. The exercise device of claim 6, wherein the arm path comprises a first path that guides the first arm and a second path that guides the second arm and wherein the first and second paths converge so that the initial distance between the grips when the first and second arms are at an initial position is greater than the forward distance between the grips when the first and second arms are at the forward position.

8. The exercise device of claim 7, further comprising a collar rotatably coupled to the drive shaft and wherein the first and second arms are pivotally coupled to the collar such that the arms pivot relative to the collar when the arms move along the respective arm paths.

9. An exercise device comprising:

a frame,

a drive shaft coupled to the frame for relative movement thereto,

a first arm and a second arm coupled to the shaft for selective engagement therewith,

a guide that constrains movement of the first and second arms along respective guide paths, and

a locking mechanism including a first transmission element to selectively engage and disengage the first and second arms with the drive shaft and a second transmission element to selectively engage and disengage the guide with the frame, wherein movement of the first and second arms from a first initial position to a second initial position when the first and second transmission elements are disengaged moves the arms relative to the drive shaft without operable engagement with the drive shaft and without substantial relative movement of the first and second arms along the guide paths.

10. The exercise device of claim 9, wherein the second transmission element further engages the guide to the first and second arms when the guide is disengaged from the frame.

11. The exercise device of claim 10, wherein operation of the locking mechanism sequentially configures the first transmission element to disengage the arms from the drive shaft and configures the second transmission element to disengage the guide from the frame and engage the guide with the first and second arms.

12. The exercise device of claim 11, further comprising a grip distance between grip portions of the first arm and the second arm and wherein the grip distance is substantially equal when the arms are located in the first initial position and in the second initial position.

13. The exercise device of claim 12, wherein the respective guide paths are convergent so that the grip distance decreases as the first and second arms move along the guide paths.

14. An adjustment mechanism for an exercise machine, comprising:

a shaft coupled to a frame;

an arm mechanism, including two lever arms, selectively coupled to the shaft by a first coupler;

a guide mechanism that restricts movement of the lever arms along a predetermined path, the guide mechanism selectively coupled to at least one of the frame or arm mechanism by a second coupler; and

a first configuration of the first and second couplers wherein a force applied to the lever arms moves the lever arms along the path and moves the shaft, and a second configuration of the first and second couplers wherein a force moves the arm mechanism and the guide mechanism without moving the shaft thereby adjusting the lever arms from a first initial position to a second initial position.

15. The adjustment mechanism of claim 14, wherein the first configuration comprises the first coupler coupling the arm mechanism to the shaft and the second coupler decoupling the guide mechanism from the arm mechanism and coupling the guide mechanism to the frame.

16. The adjustment mechanism of claim 14, wherein the second configuration comprises the first coupler decoupling the arm mechanism from the shaft and the second coupler decoupling the guide mechanism from the frame and coupling the guide mechanism to the arm mechanism.

17. The adjustment mechanism of claim 14, wherein the first and second couplers are operatively associated such that operation of the first coupler to decouple the arm mechanism from the shaft decouples the guide mechanism from the frame and couples the guide mechanism to the arm mechanism.

18. The adjustment mechanism of claim 14, wherein the first coupler includes a user grip and actuation of the user grip concurrently operates the first coupler to decouple the arm mechanism from the shaft and the second coupler to decouple the guide mechanism from the frame and couple the guide mechanism to the arm mechanism.

19. The adjustment mechanism of claim 14, wherein the arm mechanism comprises the lever arms coupled to a collar that is selectively rotatable about the shaft and the first coupler couples and decouples the collar to the shaft.

20. The adjustment mechanism of claim 19, wherein the lever arms are pivotally connected to the collar so that distal ends of the lever arms can move relative to each other as the lever arms move along the predetermined path.