Cable-and-pulley devices having intermediate tension...

Details Cable-and-pulley devices having intermediate tension... Cable-and-pulley devices having intermediate tension...

2000-02-07

2003-06-24

Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)

Exercise devices

User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...

Utilizing weight resistance

C482S139000, C482S098000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06582346

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to cable-and-pulley devices having intermediate tension isolators for exercise machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The convenience, efficiency, and safety of weight-training exercise machines is widely recognized. Popular weight-training exercise machines feature multiple stations at which a user may perform a variety of exercises for developing and toning different muscle groups. For example, an exercise machine may include a “press” station for exercising the chest and shoulders, a leg station for exercising the legs, and a pull-down station for exercising the arms and upper body, or other training stations. Exercise machines typically include a weight stack that may provide a variable training load. The user simply adjusts the position of a pin to attach a desired number of weight plates to a cable-and-pulley device to achieve a desired training load.
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of an exercise machine
100
having four exercise stations (or “user interface” stations): a press station
102
, a leg curl station
104
, a low pull station
106
, and a high pull station
108
. The exercise machine
100
includes a frame
139
and a cable-and-pulley device
120
that operatively attaches each of the exercise stations to a weight stack
112
. In operation, a user (not shown) may perform, for example, a press exercise by lying on a seat
114
and grasping a pair of handles
116
. The user then applies a training force to the handles
116
by pressing the handles
116
away from the user's chest. The training force is transmitted through the cable-and-pulley device
120
and applies a lifting force on at least a portion of the weight stack (a training load)
118
. As the user overcomes the gravitational force on the training load
118
, the handles
116
move upwardly and the training load
118
is raised. Exercise machines of the type shown in
FIG. 1
are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,538 to Ish, incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 2
is a schematic view of the cable-and-pulley device
120
of the exercise machine
100
of FIG.
1
. The cable-and-pulley device
120
includes a first cable
122
attached to the training load
118
and to the high pull station
108
. The first cable
122
is trained about a first end pulley
124
proximate the high pull station
108
, a first intermediate pulley
126
, a first upper pulley
128
of a first double-floating pulley
130
, and a main pulley
132
positioned over the training load
118
. As used herein, the designation “end pulley” refers to a pulley that is located immediately adjacent to a user interface station, while “intermediate pulley” generally refers to a pulley that is not an “end pulley.”
The cable-and-pulley device
110
also includes a second cable
132
that is attached to the low pull station
106
and is trained about a second end pulley
134
and a first lower pulley
129
of the first double-floating pulley
130
. The second cable
132
also is trained over a second intermediate pulley
136
, a third intermediate pulley
138
, a fourth intermediate pulley
140
, and a second upper pulley
142
of a second double-floating pulley
144
. An end
146
of the second cable
132
is fixed in a stationary position. A third cable
148
is attached to the leg curl station
104
and is trained over a third end pulley
150
, a fifth intermediate pulley
152
, a second lower pulley
143
of the second double-floating pulley
144
, a fourth end pulley
154
, and finally, is attached to the press station
102
.
Cable stops
156
,
158
,
160
,
162
are attached to the cables
122
,
132
,
148
proximate each of the end pulleys
124
,
134
,
150
,
154
.
FIG. 3
is an enlarged, partially exploded view of a cable stop
156
attached to the first cable
122
of the cable-and-pulley device
120
. The cable stop
156
includes a stop ball
159
having a bore
161
therethrough. The first cable
122
is passed through the bore
161
. A flanged ball
163
is then positioned on the first cable
122
and is swaged or otherwise fixed into position. The stop ball
159
is then slid back along the first cable
122
into engagement with the flanged ball
163
, locking the stop ball
159
into position. A free end
123
of the first cable
122
continues on through the flanged ball
163
for attachment to a pull handle
109
(see
FIG. 1
) of the high pull station
108
. A variety of other cable stop configurations may be used, including “genie bottle”-shaped stops.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,538, the cable stops prevent retraction of the cables through the end pulleys as one of the user interface stations is being used. For example, when the user performs the press exercise as described above, the cable stop
160
is drawn into contact with the third end pulley
150
and a portion of the frame
139
. The tension in the third cable
148
pulls downwardly on the second double-floating pulley
144
, creating tension in the second cable
132
that draws the cable stop
158
into contact with the second end pulley
134
. In turn, the tension in the second cable
132
pulls downwardly on the first double-floating pulley
130
, creating tension in the first cable
122
. The tension in the first cable
122
draws the cable stop
156
into contact with the first end pulley
124
, and lifts the training load
118
.
Beneficial results have been achieved using the cable-and-pulley device
120
and the exercise machine
100
. Generally, however, virtually all exercise machines that use cable-and-pulley devices experience a characteristic stretching of the cables as the user applies a training force at one of the user interface stations. In some instances, the stretching of the cables may be imperceptible to the user. The stretching of the cables may become more perceptible to the user, however, as the number of cables in the cable-and-pulley device increases, as the length of the cables is increased, or as the magnitude of the training load is increased. Thus, the stretching of the cable may detract from the user's satisfaction, or may adversely impact the performance of the machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to cable-and-pulley devices having intermediate tension isolators for exercise machines. In one aspect, a cable-and-pulley device includes a cable attached to a load and to a user interface, and operatively engaged with a main pulley positioned over the load, a floating pulley, and an end pulley proximate the user interface. A second user interface is attached to the floating pulley. A tension isolator is positioned on the cable at an intermediate position between the end pulley and the floating pulley so that a training force applied on a second user interface draws the tension isolator into contact with the an isolator stop. In one aspect, the isolator stop is an intermediate pulley. Alternately, the isolator stop is a catch projecting from a frame of the exercise machine. The tension isolator effectively divides the cable into a tensioned portion and an isolated portion, thereby reducing the amount of cable that is stretched during use of the second user interface.
In alternate aspects, the tension isolator may include a stop mechanically secured to the cable, or a coupling member coupled between the tensioned portion and the isolated portion. Alternately, the tension isolator may be integrally formed with the cable. In other alternate aspects, a cable-and-pulley device may include a plurality of tension isolators positioned on one or more of the cables.


REFERENCES:
patent: 931699 (1909-08-01), Medart
patent: 4721301 (1988-01-01), Drake
patent: 5054773 (1991-10-01), Parviainen
patent: 5267930 (1993-12-01), Henes
patent: 5518477 (1996-05-01), Simonson
patent: 5624362 (1997-04-01), Wilson

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