U.S. patent application number 13/042767 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-15 for exercise apparatus capable of resistance detection.
Invention is credited to James Chen.
Application Number | 20110224046 13/042767 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44560512 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110224046 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; James |
September 15, 2011 |
EXERCISE APPARATUS CAPABLE OF RESISTANCE DETECTION
Abstract
An exercise apparatus includes a machine body, a transmission
device, and a resistance adjusting device. The transmission device
is operably disposed on the machine body and includes a rotatable
resistance load. The resistance adjusting device includes an
adjusting member operably disposed on the machine body, a retarding
member connected to the adjusting member and disposed to be brought
into contact with the resistance load for retarding rotation of the
resistance load, and a force sensor that is disposed between the
adjusting member and the retarding member and that is operable to
generate a sensor output dependent upon resistance to rotation of
the resistance load applied by the retarding member as a result of
operating the adjusting member.
Inventors: |
Chen; James; (Taichung City,
TW) |
Family ID: |
44560512 |
Appl. No.: |
13/042767 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2220/51 20130101;
A63B 21/154 20130101; A63B 71/0619 20130101; A63B 2220/80 20130101;
A63B 21/015 20130101; A63B 21/00069 20130101; A63B 21/0628
20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/8 |
International
Class: |
A63B 21/005 20060101
A63B021/005 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 11, 2010 |
TW |
099107086 |
Claims
1. An exercise apparatus capable of resistance detection, said
exercise apparatus comprising: a machine body; a transmission
device operably disposed on said machine body and including a
rotatable resistance load; and a resistance adjusting device
including: an adjusting member operably disposed on said machine
body, a retarding member connected to said adjusting member and
disposed to be brought into contact with said resistance load for
retarding rotation of said resistance load, and a force sensor
disposed between said adjusting member and said retarding member,
and operable to generate a sensor output dependent upon resistance
to rotation of said resistance load applied by said retarding
member as a result of operating said adjusting member.
2. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
adjusting member is mounted threadedly on said machine body.
3. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
a display device disposed on said machine body, coupled to said
force sensor, and operable to generate a visual indication of the
sensor output.
4. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said force
sensor is selected from a piezoelectric force sensor, a capacitive
force sensor and a resistive force sensor.
5. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said force
sensor is a piezoelectric force sensor.
6. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
resistance load includes a flywheel, and said transmission device
further includes a pedal unit, a drive wheel driven to rotate via
said pedal unit, and a belt trained between said drive wheel and
said flywheel.
7. An exercise apparatus capable of resistance detection, said
exercise apparatus comprising: a machine body; a transmission
device movably disposed on said machine body; and a resistance
adjusting device including: a resistance load coupled to said
transmission device and movable relative to said machine body, and
a force sensor disposed between said transmission device and said
resistance load, and operable to generate a sensor output dependent
upon resistance to movement of said transmission device applied by
said resistance load.
8. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising
a display device disposed on said machine body, coupled to said
force sensor, and operable to generate a visual indication of the
sensor output.
9. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said force
sensor is a piezoelectric force sensor.
10. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said
resistance load includes a stack of weight members.
11. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein: said
transmission device includes an operating component movably
connected to said machine body, and a pulley mechanism coupled to
said operating component; and said resistance adjusting device
further includes a coupler connected between said pulley mechanism
and said resistance load.
12. The exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said
coupler is a hollow body with a top end, said pulley mechanism
includes a pull cord extending into said coupler via said top end,
said resistance adjusting device further includes a press block
disposed in said coupler and connected to said pull cord, and said
force sensor is disposed in said coupler between said press block
and said top end of said coupler.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application
No. 099107086, filed on Mar. 11, 2010.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus, more
particularly to an exercise apparatus capable of resistance
detection.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional exercise bicycle has
adjustable resistance to operation of the exercise bike. The
exercise bicycle includes a machine body 1, a transmission device 2
that is disposed on the machine body 1 and that includes a
rotatable resistance flywheel 201, and a resistance adjusting
member 3 disposed on the machine body 1. The resistance adjusting
member 3 includes an adjusting rod 301 mounted threadedly on the
machine body 1, and a retarding member 302 that is connected to one
end of the adjusting rod 301 adjacent to the resistance flywheel
201 and that is disposed to be brought into contact with the
resistance flywheel 201 for retarding rotation of the latter.
[0006] In this way, users may operate the adjusting rod 301 such
that the retarding member 302 increases or decreases resistance to
rotation of the resistance flywheel 201 for varying resistance to
operation of the exercise bicycle. However, the users may only
adjust the resistance to rotation of the resistance flywheel 201
applied by the retarding member 302 by mere feeling, and are unable
to know exactly how much resistance to rotation of the resistance
flywheel 201 is applied by the retarding member 302. Therefore, the
users may not execute exercise training plans accurately.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
an exercise apparatus capable of resistance detection which may
detect resistance to operation of the exercise apparatus.
[0008] Accordingly, the exercise apparatus capable of resistance
detection of the present invention includes a machine body, a
transmission device, and a resistance adjusting device. The
transmission device is operably disposed on the machine body and
includes a rotatable resistance load. The resistance adjusting
device includes an adjusting member operably disposed on the
machine body, a retarding member connected to the adjusting member
and disposed to be brought into contact with the resistance load
for retarding rotation of the resistance load, and a force sensor
that is disposed between the adjusting member and the retarding
member and that is operable to generate a sensor output dependent
upon resistance to rotation of the resistance load applied by the
retarding member as a result of operating the adjusting member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the two
preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a side elevation schematic view of a conventional
exercise bicycle;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side elevation schematic view of a first
preferred embodiment of an exercise apparatus capable of resistance
detection of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged fragmentary schematic view of
the first preferred embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the first preferred embodiment,
illustrating a force sensor and a display device;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side elevation schematic view of a second
preferred embodiment of the exercise apparatus capable of
resistance detection of the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a coupler of
the second preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Before the present invention is described in greater detail
with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be noted
that the same reference numerals are used to denote the same
elements throughout the following description.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, a first preferred embodiment of
the exercise apparatus capable of resistance detection of the
present invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the exercise
apparatus is an exercise bicycle. The exercise apparatus includes a
machine body 10, a transmission device 20, a resistance adjusting
device 30, and a display device 40.
[0018] The transmission device 20 is disposed on the machine body
10, and includes a pedal unit 21, a drive wheel 22 driven to rotate
via the pedal unit 21, a rotatable resistance load 23, and a belt
24 trained between the drive wheel 22 and the resistance load 23.
In this embodiment, the resistance load 23 is a resistance
flywheel. Since the feature of the present invention does not
reside in the detailed configuration of the transmission device 20,
which is known in the art, further details of the same are omitted
herein for the sake of brevity.
[0019] The resistance adjusting device 30 includes an adjusting
member 31 mounted threadedly on the machine body 10, a retarding
member 32 that is connected to a bottom end of the adjusting member
31 adjacent to the resistance load 23 and that is disposed to be
brought into contact with the resistance load 23 for retarding
rotation of the resistance load 23, and a force sensor 33 disposed
between the bottom end of the adjusting member 31 and the retarding
member 32. The force sensor 33 is operable to generate a sensor
output dependent upon resistance to rotation of the resistance load
23 applied by the retarding member 32 as a result of operating the
adjusting member 31. In this embodiment, the force sensor 33 is a
known piezoelectric force sensor. Alternatively, the force sensor
33 may be a capacitive force sensor or a resistive force
sensor.
[0020] The display device 40 is disposed on the machine body 10, is
coupled to the force sensor 33, and is operable to generate a
visual indication of the sensor output. In this embodiment, the
exercise apparatus further includes a wireless transmission module
(not shown) attached to the force sensor 33 for transmitting the
sensor output to the display device 40.
[0021] In this way, users may operate the adjusting member such
that the retarding member 32 increases or decreases resistance to
rotation of the resistance load 23 for varying resistance to
operation of the exercise apparatus. Meanwhile, the force sensor 33
is operable to generate the sensor output dependent upon resistance
to rotation of the resistance load 23 applied by the retarding
member 32 as a result of operating the adjusting member 31, and the
visual indication of the sensor output (e.g., a numerical
indication of the resistance) may be displayed on the display
device 40 for the users' reference. Therefore, the users may learn
exactly how much resistance to rotation of the resistance load 23
is applied by the retarding member 32 so as to execute exercise
training plans accurately.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a second preferred
embodiment of the present invention similar to the first preferred
embodiment is illustrated. The second preferred embodiment differs
from the first preferred embodiment in the following:
[0023] The second preferred embodiment is a pulling-stretching
exercise machine.
[0024] The transmission device 20 is movably disposed on the
machine body 10, and includes an operating component, such as a
pulling lever, movably connected to the machine body 10, and a
pulley mechanism coupled to the operating component. The pulley
mechanism includes a plurality of pulleys 25, and three pull cords
26, 27, 28 each circling different pulleys 25. If any one of the
pull cords 27, 28 is driven by the operating component, the pull
cord 26 is also driven by said one of the pull cords 27, 28. Since
the feature of the present invention does not reside in the
detailed configuration of the transmission device 20, which is
known in the art, further details of the same are omitted herein
for the sake of brevity.
[0025] The resistance adjusting device 30 includes a resistance
load 34 that is coupled to the transmission device 20 and that is
movable relative to the machine body 10, a coupler 35 connected
between the pulley mechanism and the resistance load 34, a cord
member 36 interconnecting the coupler 35 and the resistance load
34, a press block 37 disposed in the coupler 35 and connected to
the pull cord 26 of the transmission device 20, and a force sensor
38 disposed between the transmission device 20 and the resistance
load 34 and operable to generate a sensor output dependent upon
resistance to movement of the transmission device 20 applied by the
resistance load 34.
[0026] In this embodiment, the resistance load 34 includes a stack
of removable weight members 341. The coupler 35 is a hollow body
with a top end. The pull cord 26 extends into the coupler 35 via
the top end. The press block 37 is connected to the pull cord 26.
The force sensor 38 is disposed in the coupler 35 between the press
block 37 and the top end of the coupler 35.
[0027] In this way, when users adjust the number of the stacked
weight members 341, the resistance to operation of the exercise
apparatus is varied. Moreover, when the users operate the operating
component to drive movement of one of the pull cords 26, 27 and 28
such that the resistance load 34 is pulled upwardly, the force
sensor 38 is pressed by the press block 37 and the top end of the
coupler 35. Therefore, the force sensor 38 is operable to generate
the sensor output dependent upon resistance to movement of the
transmission device 20 applied by the resistance load 34, and, like
the first preferred embodiment, the visual indication of the sensor
output (e.g., a numerical indication of the resistance) is
displayed on the display device 40 for the users' reference.
[0028] In summary, the exercise apparatus of the present invention
may not only detect resistance to operation of the exercise
apparatus, but also display the visual indication representing the
resistance for the users' reference.
[0029] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what are considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
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