U.S. patent application number 11/892690 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for wheel assembly of exercise machine capable of presetting resistance parameters.
This patent application is currently assigned to FEGO PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Chin-Hsiung Chang, Po-Jen Chang, Ming-Hui Jao.
Application Number | 20080261775 11/892690 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39872822 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080261775 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Chin-Hsiung ; et
al. |
October 23, 2008 |
Wheel assembly of exercise machine capable of presetting resistance
parameters
Abstract
A wheel assembly of an exercise machine includes a base having a
fixed disk. A flywheel is provided on the base. A damper, which is
provided on the fixed disk, has a displacement mechanism and a
magnet assembly connected to the displacement mechanism and moved
by the displacement mechanism toward or away from the flywheel. A
motor is provided on the fixed disk and connected to the
displacement mechanism for adjusting a position of the magnet
assembly. A control circuit, which has a processor, an angle sensor
connected to the processor and a memory, is connected to the motor
and the damper to sense the position of the magnet assembly and
control the motor driving the displacement mechanism to adjust the
position of the magnet assembly. Therefore, the memory stores
resistance parameters of presetting the magnet assembly acting on
the flywheel to achieve the presetting function.
Inventors: |
Chang; Chin-Hsiung;
(Taichung County, TW) ; Jao; Ming-Hui; (Nantou
County, TW) ; Chang; Po-Jen; (Taoyuan County,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE, FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314-1176
US
|
Assignee: |
FEGO PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CO.,
LTD.
TAICHUNG COUNTY
TW
|
Family ID: |
39872822 |
Appl. No.: |
11/892690 |
Filed: |
August 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/5 ;
482/63 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 22/0605 20130101;
A63B 2220/16 20130101; A63B 24/00 20130101; A63B 21/0051 20130101;
A63B 21/225 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/5 ;
482/63 |
International
Class: |
A63B 21/005 20060101
A63B021/005; A63B 22/06 20060101 A63B022/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 20, 2007 |
TW |
96114169 |
Claims
1. A wheel assembly of an exercise machine, comprising: a base
having a fixed disk; a flywheel provided on the base; a damper,
which is provided on the fixed disk, having a displacement
mechanism and a magnet assembly connected to the displacement
mechanism and moved by the displacement mechanism toward or away
from the flywheel; a motor provided on the fixed disk and connected
to the displacement mechanism for adjusting a position of the
magnet assembly; and a control circuit, which has a processor, an
angle sensor connected to the processor and a memory, connected to
the motor and the damper to sense the position of the magnet
assembly and control the motor driving the displacement mechanism
to adjust the position of the magnet assembly.
2. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the motor is
connected to a gear box, and the magnet assembly of the damper
includes two curved magnetic plates with ends pivoted on the disk
and free ends even with a circumference of the fixed disk, and the
displacement mechanism includes a knob with an elongated body
through the fixed disk, a connecting block on a tail end of the
body and two connecting arms on opposite sides and two links with
opposite ends pivoted on distal ends of the connecting arms and the
free ends of the curved magnetic plates.
3. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the angle
sensor is a variable resistance corresponding and connected to the
knob.
4. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein the memory is
a nonvolatile memory storing a table of a relationship of an angle
of the knob and a resistance therein.
5. The wheel assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the base has
an upright frame pole, on which the fixed disk is mounted.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates, generally to an exercise
machine, and more particularly to a wheel assembly of an exercise
machine which may preset the resistance parameters.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventional exercise machines include indoor bike, which is
equipped with a resistance wheel 70, as shown in FIG. 6. The
resistance wheel 70 includes a motor 71 driving a cable pulling
device 72. The cable pulling device 72 pulls a magnet (not shown)
through a cable 74 to adjust a distance between the magnet and a
flywheel 76 that changes the resistance of the flywheel.
[0005] To adjust the resistance of the conventional resistance
wheel 70, the magnet is moved through the motor 71, the cable
pulling device 72 and the cable 74 that cannot provides a precise
control. Therefore, the minimum pulling force of the cable pulling
device 72 is adjusted by a screw 78 to generate different pulling
distances and get a minimum torque. The motor is electrically
connected to an electronic control panel for control of the
motor.
[0006] The conventional resistance wheel provides the motor moving
the magnet through the cable 74. The magnet is mounted on a frame
of the flywheel 76 and the motor is mounted on a base of the
resistance wheel, therefore it has to adjust the torque after the
resistance wheel is made. Typically, the resistance wheel is put on
an adjusting machine for adjustment of torque that is a long time
and heavy loading job with no help in production. The conventional
resistance wheel could not preset the pulling force or preset the
parameters of pulling force before the resistance wheel is
assembled. Besides, the cable is flexible and the screw 78 provides
a single point adjustment (zero point adjustment), therefore there
is no chance to provide a precise adjustment of pulling force by
the cable 74.
[0007] In addition, after we adjust the pulling force to a correct
value, it has to input the values of the pulling force and angle
into the memory of the electronic control panel to complete the
setting process. The electronic control panel is separated from the
resistance wheel with a wire connected therebetween, so that the
torque set goes incorrect and the control of the pulling force goes
incorrect when any one of the electronic control panel, the cable
pulling device, the screw or the cable is damaged or replaced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a wheel assembly of an exercise machine, which preset resistance
parameters.
[0009] The secondary objective of the present invention is to
provide a wheel assembly of an exercise machine, which may control
the resistance precisely.
[0010] The third objective of the present invention is to provide a
wheel assembly of an exercise machine, which the set of the
resistance parameters will not affected by the damage or
replacement of any element.
[0011] According to the objectives of the present invention, a
wheel assembly of an exercise machine includes a base having a
fixed disk. A flywheel is provided on the base. A damper, which is
provided on the fixed disk, has a displacement mechanism and a
magnet assembly connected to the displacement mechanism and moved
by the displacement mechanism toward or away from the flywheel. A
motor is provided on the fixed disk and connected to the
displacement mechanism for adjusting a position of the magnet
assembly. A control circuit, which has a processor, an angle sensor
connected to the processor and a memory, is connected to the motor
and the damper to sense the position of the magnet assembly and
control the motor driving the displacement mechanism to adjust the
position of the magnet assembly. Therefore, the memory stores
resistance parameters of presetting the magnet assembly acting on
the flywheel to achieve the presetting function.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view in parts of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention, showing the control circuit;
[0015] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are top views of the preferred embodiment
of the present invention, showing the actions of the present
invention; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the conventional wheel
assembly of an indoor bike.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a wheel assembly 10 of a bike
of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a
base 11, a flywheel 21, a damper 31, a motor 41, and a control
circuit 51.
[0018] The base 11 has an upright frame pole 12, a fixed disk 14 on
the frame pole 12.
[0019] The flywheel 21 is provided on the frame pole 12 of the base
11. In the present invention, the flywheel 21 and the fixed disk 14
has the same rotation of axis.
[0020] The damper 31, which is mounted on the fixed disk 14,
includes a displacement mechanism 32 and a magnet assembly 36 on
the displacement mechanism 32. The magnet assembly 36 includes two
curved magnetic plates 37, each of which has an end pivotally
connected to the fixed plate 14 and a free end corresponding to a
circumference of the fixed plate 14. The displacement mechanism 32
includes a knob 33 and two links 34. The knob 33 has an elongated
body 331 through the fixed disk 14, a connecting block 332 on a
tail end of the body 331 and two connecting arms 333 at opposite
sides thereof. The links 34 have opposite ends pivotally connected
to free ends of the connecting arms 333 respectively and the free
ends of the curved magnetic plates 37. The curved magnetic plates
37 are moved toward or away from the flywheel 21 by turning the
knob 33 to move the links 34.
[0021] The motor 41 is mounted on the fixed disk 14 and connected
to a gear box 44, which connected to the connecting block 332 of
the displacement mechanism 32. The motor 41 drives the gear box 44
to turn the knob for moving the curved magnetic plates 37 that may
adjust the positions of the curved magnetic plates 37.
[0022] The control circuit 51 has a processor 52, an angle sensor
53 connected to the processor 52 and a memory 54. The control
circuit 51 is connected to the motor 41 and the damper 31 to sense
the positions of the magnet assembly 36 and control the motor 41 to
adjust the positions of the magnet assembly 36 through the
displacement mechanism 32. The angle sensor 53 is a variable
resistance corresponding and connected to the knob 33. The memory
is an Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM) with a
contrast table therein of relationship of the angle of the knob 33
and the resistance generated by the magnet assembly 36.
[0023] The action of the present invention is that the control
circuit 51 drives the motor 41 to control the rotation angle of the
knob. The rotation angle of the knob 33 controls movements of the
curved magnetic plates 37 relative to the flywheel 21 through the
links 34 that may change the resistance acting on the flywheel 21.
The present invention may generate a table of relationship of
resistance and angle by pre-adjustment of the resistance parameters
and stores it in the memory 54. As shown FIG. 4, when the curved
magnetic plates 37 are moved to outer positions, in which edges of
the curved magnetic plates 37 are even with the circumference of
the fixed disk 14, the curved magnetic plates 37 are proximal to
the flywheel 21 (referring to FIG. 1) to provide greatest
resistance. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 5, when the curved
magnetic plates 37 are moved to inner positions, the curved
magnetic plates 37 are distal to the flywheel 21 to provide
smallest resistance.
[0024] With the structure of the present invention, the motor 41 is
connected to the knob 33 through the gear box 44 that there is no
drawback of the conventional device because of the flexibility of
the cable. The knob 33 is connected to the curved magnetic plates
37 directly that there is no error in transmission. In other words,
the relationship of the angle of the knob 33 and the resistance
acting on the flywheel 21 by the curved magnetic plates 37 may be
pre-adjusted through the resistance parameters that provide the
table of the relationship of angle and the resistance stored in the
memory 54 to achieve the function of preset of the resistance
parameters. In real operation, it may use the content of the table
in the memory 54 to control the resistance.
[0025] Besides, the present invention provides a more precise
control of the pulling force of the curved magnetic plates that
provides a precise set of the resistance.
[0026] All of the elements relative to the resistance control are
fixed firmly. The present invention has no screw and cable of the
prior art. It is more important that when the motor or motor
controller is damaged and replaced, the present invention may use
the original table to have the set setting without adjustment
again.
[0027] The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the
present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is
still in the scope of the claim of the present invention.
* * * * *