Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing weight resistance
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-07
2002-11-19
Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing weight resistance
C482S100000, C482S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06482135
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for exercise machines having balancing loads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The convenience, efficiency, and safety of weight-training exercise machines is widely recognized. Popular weight-training exercise machines feature single or multiple stations at which a user may perform one or a variety of exercises for developing and toning different muscle groups of the user's body. One of the stations typically allows a user to perform a variety of exercises, including “press” and “shrug” exercises which train muscles of the upper body, including chest, shoulder, and arm muscles, and “squat” and “calf” exercises which train muscles of the legs.
For example,
FIG. 1
is an elevational view of an exercise machine
100
having a weight stack
102
and a lift arm
104
. The lift arm
104
includes a first end coupled to a fixed support
105
, and a second end having a pair of handles
109
. The weight stack
102
includes a plurality of weights
103
, each of which is slideable on a pair of guide rods
106
(only one visible). The guide rods
106
include a lower end
107
pivotably coupled to a fixed base
108
. With the lift arm
104
in a lowered position
110
, the guide rods
106
are in an approximately vertical position. A selector pin
112
is inserted into the weight stack
102
to select a desired number of lifted plated
114
. Exercise machines of the type shown in
FIG. 1
are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,148 to Ish, incorporated herein by reference.
In operation, a user (not shown) may perform a “press” exercise by lying on a bench
111
and grasping the handles
109
. The user then applies a training force to the handles
109
by pressing the handles
109
away from the user's chest. As the user overcomes the gravitational force on the lifted plates
114
, the handles
109
move along a fixed arc
116
, moving the lift arm
104
into a second position
120
. As the handles
109
move along the arc
116
, the lifted plates
114
move upwardly along the guide rod
106
and the guide rods
106
pivot into a tilted, non-vertical position
122
. The shape and location of the arc
116
defined by the movement of the handles
109
is fixed. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the above-described press exercise trains a muscle zone
132
of a user's upper body
130
.
Other known exercise machines allow greater freedom of movement of the handles of the lift arm. For example,
FIG. 3
is an elevational view of an exercise machine
150
having a press station
152
and a pull-down station
154
. The press station
152
includes a seat
153
and a lift arm
154
. The lift arm
154
includes a first end pivotably attached to a support arm
155
by a hinge
157
and a second end proximate the seat
153
having a pair of handles
156
. In a lowered position
180
, the hinge
157
is engaged against a support frame
162
.
The exercise machine
150
further includes a weight stack
158
slideably engaged with a weight guide
160
, allowing the user to select a desired training load. A cable-and-pulley device
170
operatively couples the lift arm
154
to the weight stack
158
to apply a lifting force to the training load when a user applies a training force to the handles
156
. Exercise machines of the type shown in
FIG. 3
are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,538 to Ish, incorporated herein by reference.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, the cable-and-pulley device
170
includes a cable
172
having a first end attached to the weight stack
158
. The cable
172
is trained over a first pulley
178
attached to an upper end of the load guide
160
. As fully described in the '538 patent, the first cable
172
is coupled to a second cable by a first double floating pulley (not shown), which is in turn coupled to a third cable
173
by a second double floating pulley (not shown). The third cable
173
is trained over a second pulley
174
and is attached to the lift arm
154
. Generally, a variety of cable-and-pulley device configurations may be used, including, for example, the cable-and-pulley device configurations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,572 to Johnson and Ish, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,896 to Gianelli et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,112 to Jones et al.
In operation, a user sits on the seat
153
and applies a training force on the handles
156
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, as the user overcomes the gravitational force on the training load, the handles
156
may be moved throughout a training zone
186
approximately defined by the lowered position
180
, an intermediate position
182
, and a raised position
184
. Because the hinge
157
is not rigidly attached to the support frame
162
, the handles
156
are not constrained to follow a fixed arc, but rather, may freely move throughout the training zone
186
as the training load is raised by the user.
Beneficial results have been achieved using the above-described exercise machines. In some cases, however, it may be desirable to augment these beneficial results by increasing the amount of work the user must perform during press exercises. Increasing the work performed by the user may be desirable, for example, to expand the scope of the trained muscle zone, to more thoroughly train the muscle zone, or to train additional or secondary muscles not typically trained by conventional press exercise machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for exercise machines having balancing loads. In one aspect, an exercise machine includes a load guide that is pivotable in at least one plane of freedom. The machine further includes a load that is engaged with the load guide, a lift arm having a first end coupled to the load guide, and a cable-and-pulley device operatively coupled to the load and to the lift arm so that a training force applied to the lift arm induces a lift force on the load. As the lift force overcomes a gravitational force on the load, the load is raised. The exercise machine requires the user to balance the load as the load is raised, providing an enhanced workout.
In another aspect, the load guide includes at least one rocker engageable with the floor surface and is pivotable in one plane of freedom. Alternately, the load guide may be pivotably coupled to a support frame (or base) so that the load guide does not contact the floor surface. In a further aspect, the load guide may include a base having a convex surface engageable with the floor surface, the load guide being pivotable in any direction.
In another aspect, an exercise machine includes a support member proximate the load guide. The support member may include a locking device engageable with the load guide to secure the load guide in a fixed position, such as in a vertical position. In a further aspect, an exercise machine includes a lift arm having a centering arm, and a centering support engageable with the centering arm. The centering arm and centering support automatically position the pivotable load guide into an upright position when the user lowers the lift arm.
In a further aspect, an exercise machine includes a support having a first end proximate the floor, the support being pivotable about the first end, a lift member pivotably coupled to the support, and a load coupled to the lift member. As a training force is applied to the lift member, the load is at least partially balanceable on the support by the training force. In alternate embodiments, the support may be pivotable in a single plane of freedom, or in two planes of freedom. Alternately, the load may be coupled to the lift member by a force-transmitting device, such as a cable-and-pulley device, a linkage, a belt, or other suitable device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4336934 (1982-06-01), Hanagan et al.
patent: 4600188 (1986-07-01), Bangerter et al.
patent: 4711448 (1987-12-01), Minkow et al.
patent: 4974835 (1990-12-01), Klink
patent: 4986538 (1991-01-01), Ish, III
patent: 5263915 (1993-11-01), Habing
patent: RE34572 (1994-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: RE34577 (
Ish, III A. Buell
Lines L. Kent
MacLean William D.
Donnelly Jerome W.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Hwang Victor K.
Vectra Fitness, Inc.
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