US20110082015A1 - Exercising - Google Patents

Abstract

Among other things, a rowing exercise method includes enabling a combination of a force applied to a movable handle and a force applied to a movable foot rest to work against a resistance device and to permit relative motion of the footrest and the resistance device.

Description

BACKGROUND
• Exercising is frequently done on an exercise machine in which motion of the exerciser's arms or legs is resisted by a resistance device such as a rotating fan. In some rowing machines, for example, as a user simulates a rowing cycle, a seat holding the user glides back and forth along the frame in response to the user applying force to a handle and a foot rest. In some rowing machines, the resistance device moves back and forth on the frame in response to the forces.
SUMMARY
• In general, in an aspect, a rowing exercise machine includes a frame, a foot support on the frame, a seat on the frame, a resistance device on the frame, a handle, a force transmitting element connecting the handle to the foot support, and a transfer mechanism connecting the force transmitting element to the resistance device, the foot support being movable relative to the resistance device.
• Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The force transmitting element includes a flexible line. The flexible line includes at least one of a cable, a chain, or a rope. The force transmitting element is non-resilient. The seat is mounted to move along the frame. The resistance device is fixed on the frame. The foot support is mounted to move along the frame. The transfer mechanism includes a flexible line. The flexible line includes one end that is fixed and one free end. The free end is connected to a slack take-up mechanism. The resistance device includes a one-way clutching mechanism coupled to the transfer mechanism. The force transmitting element includes a force transmitting line and the transfer mechanism includes a first slidable coupling for the force transmitting line. The first slidable coupling includes a first pulley. The transfer mechanism includes a transfer line and the transfer mechanism includes a second slidable coupling for the transfer line. The transfer mechanism includes a pulley in which the force transmitting element rides.
• In general, in an aspect, a rowing exercise machine includes a handle connected by a cable to a footrest that is movable along a frame of the machine; a second cable couples a pulley, in which the first cable rides, to a rotational resistance device that is fixed on the frame.
• In general, in an aspect, in a rowing exercise method, a force applied to a movable handle and a force applied to a movable foot rest combine to work against a resistance device and to permit relative motion of the footrest and the resistance device.
• These and other aspects and features, and combinations of them may also be expressed in other ways, for example, as methods, systems, apparatus, means for performing functions or steps, business methods, components, and in other ways.
• Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise machine, partially exploded.
• FIG. 2 is a side view (partially broken away) andFIG. 4 a schematic side view of exercise machines.
• FIGS. 3A-3D are illustrations of phases of a rowing cycle.
• Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, in some implementations, arowing exercise machine100 can be arranged to simulate for a user the rowing of a shell (or other rowing platform) through water (in a river, for example), while achieving other advantages, including reducing the effort required by the user to overcome inertia of his body during different stages of a rowing cycle, and offering the possibility of achieving compact size and weight and economical cost of the machine. These and other benefits can be achieved, for example, by connecting a non-resilient flexible cable104 (for example, one that has a tensile strength to resist stretching when pulling forces are applied to its ends) through pulleys between anexercise handle102 and amovable foot rest112. Then the combinedforce121 corresponding to aforce117 applied to the handle and aforce119 applied to the foot rest at various times during a rowing cycle can be coupled through apulley assembly115 and achain116 to work against and drive a fan or other resistance device132 (which in the example shown is fixed to the frame). In the example, the force at the resistance device will be half of the combinedforce121 because of the configuration of the pulleys.
• As a result, as the user sitting on amovable seat118 works through a rowing cycle—during parts of which he or she pulls on and lets up on the handle and pushes or pulls or lets up on the foot rest—the handle, the foot rest, and the seat can move back and forth140,152,153 along arail126 that is part of aframe129 of the machine, to provide a more realistic rowing experience, among other benefits.
• Therowing machine100 simulates, for example, the effect that motion of a shell underneath a rower—as the shell glides through the water—has on the motion of the rower's feet relative to his torso, among other things. Among other things, because thefoot rest112 can move along themain rail126 as the user applies force to the foot rest and the handle, theexercise machine100 simulates the inertia, resistance, and motion experienced by a rower when he rows a shell on water.
• In some implementations, theresistance device132 is attached in a fixed position along the length of themain rail126 of the exercise machine, which allows the frame to be shorter, lighter weight, and less expensive to make, than if the resistance device were arranged to move along the rail. In some implementations, some motion of the resistance device relative to the frame could be permitted.
• In some examples, theresistance device132 includes an air resistance fan, for example, of the kind shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,955, incorporated here by reference. In some implementations, the resistance device can be an electrical device or a friction device, for example.
• In some implementations that use an air resistance fan, the fan rotates on a central spindle139. In some examples, a drivingsprocket wheel134 is attached by a one-way clutch (not shown) to the spindle. The one-way clutch enables the sprocket wheel to rotate the fan when the sprocket wheel is driven in onerotational direction135 and allows the sprocket wheel to rotate freely relative to the fan when the sprocket wheel is driven in the oppositerotational direction136. A wide variety of other drive arrangements could be used for the fan.
• In some cases, thecable104 extends from the handle through free-wheeling pulleys106,110, and114 (which is part of the pulley assembly115) and is attached at its other end to alocation601 on abracket602 that is part of afoot rest assembly603.
• In some examples, achain116 drives the sprocket wheel as the chain moves. One end of the chain can be attached at afixed point137. The part of the chain between thefixed attachment point137 and the sprocket wheel passes through afree running pulley120 that is part of thepulley assembly115. The other end of the chain is connected by acoupling206 to aresilient cord202 the other end of which is attached to a second fixedpoint141.
• When thepulley assembly115 is pulled to the right in response to the combinedforce121, thepulley120 pulls on thecable116 causing the cable to drive the sprocket wheel in thedirection135. Thecoupling206 moves to the left, and thecord202, which passes through afree wheeling pulley204, stretches. The force needed to extend the cord is relatively small compared to the force needed to drive the fan. When the combinedforce121 on the pulley assembly falls below the restoring force exerted by the stretched cord, the stretchedcord202 contracts, pulling in the slack of the chain.
• During a rowing cycle, the user applies various forces to the handle, the foot rest, and the seat, and the fan resists the combined forces applied to the handle and the foot rest. At times during the cycle, the user applies essentially no force on the handle, and allows thecable104 to be taken up by a force on the foot rest or the restoring force of the cord, or both. At times during the cycle, the user applies essentially noforce119 on the foot rest and allows the foot rest to move to the left onFIG. 2, or may pull the foot rest back using a foot strap (not shown). Various combinations of such forces and motion may also occur. The machine is arranged so that the forces applied and the motions of the handle, foot rest, and seat will simulate rowing a shell through water.
• In general, the combine forces on the handle and the foot rest are applied to perform work against the resistance device. Essentially there is no net force acting on the user to move the seat either to the left or to the right. As a result, there need not be any motion of theseat118 in eitherdirection153 during a rowing cycle. Although motion of the seat is not necessary, a small movement of theseat153 may occur as the user shifts his upper body mass from one portion of the rowing cycle to another portion. Typically, the small motion of the seat will be in the direction opposite to the motion of the user's torso. For example, as the user pushes hard on the foot rest and pulls hard on the handle, he will also tend to shift his body mass away from the foot rest, causing the seat to move slightly towards the footrest.
• As shown inFIG. 3A, when a user is about to begin a stroke portion of a rowing cycle, therower101 may be crouched, with alocation217 on thefoot rest112 at a position P1 (along the length of the exercise machine) and acenter location219 of theseat118 at a position P2 so that the distance between P2 and P1 is221.
• As the user starts the rowing stroke, the user pulls back117 on thehandle102 towards the user's torso, and at the same time may push119 on the foot rest. The resulting combined force121 (e.g., the sum of the forces applied on the footrest and on the handle) performs work through thechain116 and thesprocket wheel134 to drive the resistance device. The resistance device resists the force, and the work performed by the user exercises the user's muscles. In the example ofFIG. 2, the force on the resistance device is half the combinedforce121, due to the arrangement of thepulley114. Other arrangements of pulleys can provide other multiplications or divisions of force and distance traversed with respect to the work performed by the user.
• As shown inFIG. 3B, during the stroke, the user pushes hard on the foot rest and pulls hard on the handle, which causes the handle to move toward his torso and the foot rest to move away from his torso. The combined forces on the handle and the foot rest drive the fan. Although not required, the user's torso and the seat also may move a small distance toward (or, depending on the way the user chooses to shift his torso, away from) the handle and foot rest as the user shifts his body mass.
• As shown inFIG. 3C, at the end of the stroke portion of the rowing cycle, the user has fully extended his legs and fully extended the handle. Thelocation217 on the footrest is then at position P3, which is adistance229 from P1 that is substantially larger thandistance221, yet the seat had moved very little if at all.
• After reaching the end of the stroke, the user goes through a recovery portion of the rowing cycle, illustrated inFIG. 3D, to return to the original position shown inFIG. 3A. As shown inFIG. 3D, during recovery, the user stops pulling on the handle, allowing it to withdraw to the right, may pull on the foot rest against a typical foot strap, not shown, and retracts his legs. He may shift his torso (and therefore the seat) a small distance, typically to the left. These actions cause the combinedforce121 to drop below the small restoring force asserted by the stretched cord. So thecable104 relaxes, allowing thepulley assembly115 to move to the right and the slack in the chain to be taken up by the contracting cord.
• Therefore, in the examples being discussed, during the stroke and recovery there is relatively large motion back and forth of the handle and the foot rest, with work being done against fan during the stroke. There can be some motion of the seat back and forth, but the motion is relatively small. Rowing on water is effectively simulated and, because the resistance device need not move back and forth also, the machine can be compact.
• In some implementations, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the rail has a generally u-shaped cross-section491 for strength and accessibility. The u is open at the bottom and the bottom edges of thesides493,495 of the u are connected toshort extensions497,499 that project perpendicularly into and partially obstruct the opening of the u at the bottom of the u-shaped cross-section. The front end of therail126 is attached between a pair ofvertical posts108. Thepulley106 is also supported between the twoposts108. Thepulley204 is mounted within the u-shaped cross-section near the front of therail126. Amonitor199 with controls is accessible to the user at one end of anarm193. The other end of the arm can pivot on one end of amain arm192, the other end of which is attached to theposts108. The bottoms of theposts108 are attached to afoot131.
• At its other end, therail126 is supported on anassembly189. Theassembly189 includes afoot133, aleg235, and twosupports237 that bear a pair of parallelcylindrical rails1199,1196 along which the seat can ride on four wheels127 (not all shown).Brackets239 prevent the seat from being removed from theassembly189. The assembly also includes twostructural pieces241,243.
• In some implementations, the mounting of the seat can include a restraining or centering mechanism that urges the seat toward a central “home” location along its supporting rails. The mechanism could be an elastic centering device that connects the seat to the supporting assembly. In some examples, the rails can have a slightly curved contour with a low point at the center of travel.
• The foot rest includes twoplates112 for the user's two feet, each mounted on avertical bracket312. Each vertical bracket bears a pair ofupper wheels113 that ride along the top of therail126 and abottom wheel111 that rides along the bottom of therail126. The wheels also keep the foot rest in place and prevent it from being removed from the rail. Thebracket602 is mounted between the twobrackets312. Ahook195 is mounted to project from the foot rest assembly to receive the handle when not in use. A wide variety of structures and components and their interaction can be used to achieve the benefits described. These include a wide variety of devices, including cables, chains, cords, straps, and other schemes to transmit forces between the handle and the foot rest. In some cases, there may be some resilience in the force transmitting device to provide selected dynamic characteristics.
• A wide variety of transfer mechanisms can be used to transfer the combined force on the cable to drive the resistance device. Other pulley arrangements are possible, and the transfer mechanism need not include pulleys. In some implementations in which the element that transmits force between the handle and the footrest is a line, like a cable or cord, for example, the force transmitting mechanism needs to permit the line to slide back and forth freely as forces change, while still transmitting the combined force to the resistance device.
• In some examples of anexercise machine500, as shown inFIG. 4, a pulley assembly includes asingle pulley402. Acable504 is connected at one end tofoot rest112, passes through the single pulley, and is connected at the other end to thehandle102. The spindle of thepulley402 is connected to the resistance device by achain406. The other end of the chain is attached through acoupling414 to aresilient cord412, the other end of which is attached at a fixedlocation407. In these examples, the combined force is not halved by the pulley assembly and equals the force applied to the resistance device.
• Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (17)

1. A rowing exercise machine comprising

a frame,

a foot support on the frame,

a seat mounted to move along the frame,

a resistance device fixed on the frame,

a handle,

a force transmitting element connecting the handle to the foot support, and

a transfer mechanism connecting the force transmitting element to the resistance device,

the foot support being movable along the frame relative to the resistance device and relative to the handle.

2. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the force transmitting element comprises a flexible line.

3. The machine ofclaim 2 in which the flexible line comprises one of a cable, a chain, or a rope.

4. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the force transmitting element is non-resilient.

5. The machine ofclaim 1 also comprising a restraining or centering mechanism that urges the seat toward a central location.

6. (canceled)

7. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the foot support is mounted to move along the frame.

8. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the transfer mechanism comprises a flexible line.

9. The machine ofclaim 8 in which the flexible line include one fixed end and one free end.

10. The machine ofclaim 9 in which the free end is connected to a slack take-up mechanism.

11. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the resistance device includes a one-way clutching mechanism coupled to the transfer mechanism.

12. The machine ofclaim 1 in which the force transmitting element comprises a force transmitting line and the transfer mechanism comprises a first slidable coupling for the force transmitting line.

13. The machine ofclaim 12 in which the first slidable coupling comprises a first pulley.

14. The machine ofclaim 13 in which the transfer mechanism comprises a transfer line and the transfer mechanism includes a second slidable coupling for the transfer line.

15. The machine ofclaim 13 in which the transfer mechanism includes a pulley in which the force transmitting element rides.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

Images