Exercise devices – User manipulated force resisting apparatus – component... – Utilizing frictional force resistance
Patent
1997-02-28
1998-03-24
Donnelly, Jerome
Exercise devices
User manipulated force resisting apparatus, component...
Utilizing frictional force resistance
482115, 482133, 482136, A63B 2112
Patent
active
057306869
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for body building, physiotherapy, and the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Keep-fit exercises or remedial exercises have conventionally required a number of apparatus for exercising different groups of muscles. As a rule, these exercise apparatus have utilised the action of gravity to exercise the muscles. Thus, such apparatus comprise gripping devices, which are connected to weights by means of wires. By moving the gripping device in relation to his body, the person doing the exercises also displaces the weights, generally by lifting them in one operation and lowering them in another operation.
However, such prior-art exercise apparatus are usually heavy, bulky and stationary, which is a serious drawback in physiotherapy, since the patients have to come to the workout gymnasium, instead of having it the other way around. Furthermore, the exercise apparatus make loud noises when the weights fall back to their resting positions after each completed exercising movement. Yet another drawback is that the load can only be adjusted in both directions at the same time, i.e. the same force is required to lift the weights in one operation and as is required to resist when the weights are lowered in the subsequent operation. The return force generated when the weights are lowered may, in addition, be undesirable in certain types of exercise and physiotherapy.
In an effort to solve these problems, hydraulically as well as electrically-braked exercise apparatus have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,041 discloses an instance of a hydraulically-braked exercise apparatus, which comprises a bottom plate, a vertical post connected to the bottom plate and a bifurcated, horizontal arm which, at one end, is rotatably connected to the post and, at the other end, supports handles. A hydraulic system generates a rotation resistance about the shaft, thus subjecting the person doing the exercises to a load when standing on the bottom plate and moving the bifurcated arm. The rotation resistance about the shaft can be switched, so as to act either when the bifurcated arm is being pulled up or when it is being pressed down.
The hydraulic apparatus according to the U.S. specification is disadvantageous in being of a fairly heavy and bulky construction, while at the same time the rotation resistance can be obtained only in one direction of rotation at a time. Furthermore, the construction suffers from a certain lack of flexibility, since the arms and the handles cannot be modified or replaced. Also, the construction is complicated and, hence, expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,163, for instance, teaches an electrically-braked exercise apparatus, in which a U-shaped gripping device is fixedly mounted in an assembly attached to a bench, so as to enable the user to carry out the exercises when lying down. This assembly comprises electric control means which, via an electromagnetic brake, control the rotation resistance about an output shaft, to which the gripping device is attached. A plurality of angle sensors are provided round the shaft to enable variation of the load not only according to the position of the gripping device but also according to the direction of movement thereof.
Like the hydraulically-braked apparatus described above, the electrically-braked apparatus does not permit the gripping device to be replaced so as to enable specialised exercise of selected muscle groups. Although of compact design, the U.S. exercise device is not all that easy to transport, owing to the power supply required.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One object of this invention is to overcome the above problems associated with the prior art, i.e. to provide an exercise apparatus which is compact and easy to transport. In addition, the exercise apparatus should comprise but a few movable components and be as simple and robust in its construction as possible.
Another object of the invention is to provide an exercise apparatus, in which the rotation resistance about the shaft can be indepen
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