U.S. patent application number 13/148194 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-01 for electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional weight lifting plates in workout stations.
Invention is credited to Takashi Nishimura.
Application Number | 20110294628 13/148194 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43010617 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110294628 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nishimura; Takashi |
December 1, 2011 |
ELECTROMECHANICAL MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING FRACTIONAL WEIGHT
LIFTING PLATES IN WORKOUT STATIONS
Abstract
An electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional weight
lifting plates is installed in a weight tower of a workout station
and includes two vertical columns, joined at the top by a crossbeam
and at the bottom by a base, on which there rests a stack of unit
weights that can be vertically moved by a steel cable. The tower
includes a pulley that deflects the steel cable coming from a lower
part of the tower towards a center of the tower, where it is
attached to the unit weights. Mounted on either side of a central
pulley is a fractional weight pulley having a coupling and a linear
actuator for translating a steel cable, which hangs vertically down
inside a tube attached to the crossbeam and to the base of the
tower, the cylindrical fractional weight being held at the end of
the steel cable in the tube.
Inventors: |
Nishimura; Takashi; (Sao
Paulo, BR) |
Family ID: |
43010617 |
Appl. No.: |
13/148194 |
Filed: |
April 20, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
April 20, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/BR10/00133 |
371 Date: |
August 5, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/154 20130101;
A63B 2220/805 20130101; A63B 2071/0063 20130101; A63B 21/063
20151001; A63B 21/0628 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/102 |
International
Class: |
A63B 21/075 20060101
A63B021/075; A63B 24/00 20060101 A63B024/00; A63B 21/00 20060101
A63B021/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 22, 2009 |
BR |
PI0901360-1 |
Claims
1. An electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional weight
lifting plates in a weight tower of the workout station, the
mechanism comprising: two vertical columns joined at the top by a
crossbeam and at the bottom by a base; a stack of unit weights
supported by the vertical columns that can be vertically moved by a
steel cable by sliding in vertical guides mounted between the
crossbeam and the base; a pulley supported by the crossbeam that
deflects the steel cable coming from a lower part of the tower
towards a center of the tower, where it is attached to the unit
weights; wherein the pulley that deflects the steel cable is
mounted in the center of a shaft; the shaft being kept suspended
and parallel to the crossbeam by a pair of bearings attached to the
crossbeam of the tower; wherein a fractional weight pulley is
mounted on the shaft on either side of the pulley, a the fractional
weight pulley being provided with a coupling in a side section,
housable in a coupling of an adjacent disk, the adjacent disk
coaxially and slidingly mounted on the shaft wherein the adjacent
disk is conducted by a rod which is propelled axially by a cursor
of a linear actuator; and wherein being fastened to each pulley is
a fractional weight steel cable, which passes through the tower by
a deflection pulley and hangs vertically inside a tube attached to
the crossbeam and to the base of the tower, a cylindrical
fractional weight being held at the end fractional weight steel
cable in the tube.
2. The electomechanical mechanism for controlling fractional weight
lifting plates according to claim 1, wherein the pulley that
deflects the steel cable is tubular and mounted by bushings on the
bearings attached to the crossbeam of the tower.
3. The electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional
weight lifting plates according to claim 2, wherein the shaft
projects outwardly from the bearings where it receives, on either
side, a the fractional weight pulley mounted thereon by a
fractional pulley bearing; and wherein the disk is conducted by a
rod, which is configured with a radial pin that passes through a
hole of the shaft, the rod being propelled axially by the cursor of
a linear actuator via a rotary joint.
4. The electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional
weight lifting plates according to claim 1, wherein the tube has a
closed base, is configure to provide a minimal internal clearance
with the fractional weight and have a rubber pad at the closed
base.
5. The electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional
weight lifting plates according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the
shaft has a perforated disk, the with perforations being at a
periphery of the perforated disk, wherein the periphery of the
perforated disk is accommodated in two optical sensors, the
distance between the two optical sensors less than or equal to the
distance between the perforations at the periphery of the
perforated, and wherein the two optical sensors count the
perforations when the disk turns while also enabling an electronic
system to interpret a turning direction of the perforated disk.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the National Stage entry of
international application No. PCT/BR2010/000133, filed Apr. 20,
2010, and claims the priority of Brazil Application No.
PI0901360-1, filed Apr. 22, 2009, the entire specifications, claims
and drawings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present invention is directed to an electromechanical
mechanism for controlling fractional weight lifting plates in
workout stations and, more specifically, to a shaft having pulleys
mounted on bearings fixed on the weight tower of the workout
station to act in conjunction with a set of fractional weight
lifting plates, which, together with the unit weights, make up the
total amount of weight selected by a user of the workout
station.
[0004] 2. Introduction
[0005] As persons skilled in the art are aware, weight towers of
workout stations have various unit weights stacked, which may, in
whole or in part, be lifted inside the towers by central vertical
steel cables, which, in turn, are driven by active members of the
workout station driven by the user. Selecting the weights to lift
may be obtained by inserting a horizontal pin, which crosses
through a hole existing in each weight in correspondence with a
sequence of holes of an ear that extends to below the lower weight
and attaches at the top to a steel cable. A weight selected by the
pin lifts all the weights above it as well.
[0006] The most modern towers have electromechanical systems for
selecting the weights, commanded by a panel fixed to the workout
station.
[0007] Many conventional towers have unit weights each weighing ten
kilos and extra pins for coupling, in a guide parallel to that of
the unit weights, of extra fractional loads, normally weighing five
kilograms and two and a half kilograms.
[0008] It is therefore one of the objectives of the present
invention to provide an electromechanical mechanism for controlling
fractional weight lifting plates in workout stations which enables
the motorized selection of the fractional weight lifting plates in
unit weight towers.
SUMMARY
[0009] The objectives and advantages of the present invention are
achieved by way of a electromechanical mechanism for controlling
fractional weight lifting plates in workout stations, to be
installed in a weight tower of the workout station, of the kind
comprised by two vertical columns joined at the top by a crossbeam
and at the bottom by a base, on which there rests a stack of unit
weights that can be vertically moved by a steel cable, sliding in
vertical guides mounted between the crossbeam and the base. At or
toward the top of this tower there is a pulley that deflects the
steel cable coming from the lower part of the tower towards the
center of the tower, where it is fixed to the unit weights.
[0010] According to aspects of the present invention, the mechanism
is comprised by of the pulley mounted in the center of a shaft that
is kept suspended and parallel to the crossbeam by a pair of
bearings attached to the crossbeam of the tower. On this shaft may
be mounted, on either side of the pulley, another pulley provided
with a coupling in the side section, housable in a coupling of an
adjacent disk, lengthwise and slidingly mounted on the shaft, and
conducted by a rod which is propelled axially by the cursor of a
linear actuator. Fastened to each pulley is a steel cable, which
passes through the tower, by a deflection pulley, hanging
vertically down inside a tube attached to the crossbeam and to the
base of the tower, the cylindrical fractional weight being held at
the end.
[0011] It is understood that other aspects of the invention will
become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description, wherein various aspects of the
present invention are shown and described by way of illustration
only. As will be understood, the present invention is capable of
other and different variations and its several details are capable
of modification in various other respects, all without departing
from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and
detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature
and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various example
implementations consistent with aspects of the invention, and,
together with the description, serve to explain the principles
thereof:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts a front raised view of a tower having an
electromechanical mechanism for controlling fractional weight
lifting plates, in accordance with some aspects of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line A-A of
FIG. 1, depicting of a tower having an electromechanical mechanism
for controlling fractional weight lifting plates, in accordance
with some aspects of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a long cross-sectional view taken along line B-B
of FIG. 2, depicting an electromechanical mechanism for controlling
fractional weight lifting plates, passing through the shaft of the
pulley of the top of the tower, in accordance with some aspects of
the present invention; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the top of the tower
taken along line C-C of FIG. 1, crosswise to the shaft of the
pulley, in accordance with some aspects of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] As shown in the figures, an electromechanical mechanism for
controlling fractional weight lifting plates in workout stations
may include weight towers comprised of two vertical columns 1
joined at the top by a crossbeam 2 and at the bottom by a base 3
supporting said columns 1. A rectangular space is formed between
the columns 1, crossbeam 2 and base 3 where a plurality of unit
weights 4 may be positioned in a stacked fashion, for example, as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The unit weights 4 may have vertical holes
that are crossed by vertical guides 5 mounted between the crossbeam
2 and the base 3, as shown in FIG. 1.
[0018] Above the uppermost unit weight 4 there is a coupling plaque
40, with a vertical bar 6 that crosses through all the unit weights
4 by corresponding central holes therein, the plaque 40 being
attached to the end of a steel cable 7 which lifts the unit weights
4.
[0019] The electromechanical mechanism promotes the coupling
between the vertical bar 6 and one of the unit weights 4, duly
selected. The steel cable 7 then lifts, by way of the bar 6, the
selected weight 4 plus all the weights above it.
[0020] An aspect of the present invention includes adding to the
unit weights 4 fractional weight lifting plates, such as to provide
equivalents to one half, or to one half plus one fourth of a unit
weight, with an electromechanical selector for selective
coupling.
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electromechanical selector
for fractional weight lifting plates consists of using a central
pulley 8 positioned at the top of the tower for deflecting
downwards, in the center of the tower, the steel cable 7 coming
from the bar 6, toward a deflecting pulley 10, which leads the
cable 7 horizontally, for example, to the workout station, as
schematically represented by an arrow in FIG. 2.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the pulley 8 may be mounted on a tubular
shaft 11. The shaft 11 may be rotatably mounted on bushings 12 of
bearings 13, which may be attached to the crossbeam 2 of the tower.
The tubular shaft 11 extends outwardly of the bushings 12 and
receives, on either side of the bearings 13, the bushings 14 of two
fractional weight pulleys 15, which have channels for steel cables
16 having small gauge or belt.
[0023] Each fractional weight pulley 15 has a rotary coupling 17,
opposite an analogous coupling 18, of a disk 19 mounted coaxially
and slidingly on the shaft 11. At each end of the shaft 11, a
cylindrical rod 20 is housed internally. A radial pin 21 may be
mounted toward the internal, distal end of the cylindrical rod 20,
which perpendicularly crosses oblong holes 22 provided on opposite
walls of the shaft 11, so as to enable the coupling of the pin 21
on the respective disk 19. The end opposite the distal end of the
rod 20 extends from a hole of the shaft 11 and connects to a cursor
23 of a linear actuator 24, by way of a rotary joint 25, each
actuator 24 being attached to the crossbeam 2 of the tower. As
described above, the shaft 11 has a rod 20 at each end and linear
actuators 24, one for each rod 20.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, at one of the ends of the shaft 11 there
is also provided axially a disk 26 with perforations on the
periphery, the disk disposed with its edge accommodated in two
optical sensors 27.
[0025] These two optical sensors 27 are located near each other and
at a distance less than or equal to the distance between the
perforations of the disk 26 such that a CPU of the command panel
recognizes the direction in which the disk 26 is turning, besides
counting the amount of holes in a lifting or lowering operation of
the weights.
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates how each fractional weight pulley 15 has
the steel cable 16 (or belt) attached at a point toward the bottom
of the channel, where a terminal 28 is housed, the steel cable 16
extending behind the tower where it deflects downwards, for
example, vertically when passing by a deflection pulley 29.
[0027] At the crossbeam 2 and at the base 3 of the tower are fixed
two vertical tubes 30, which receive, vertically and slidingly, two
cylindrical weights, such as a first weight 31 weighing five
kilograms and a second weight 32 weighing two and a half kilograms,
for example. Each weight 31 and 32 is suspended by the steel cables
16 in the tubes 30, the steel cables 16 connecting to the weights
31 and 32 substantially at their centers.
[0028] The tubes 30 are closed at the lower ends, and may contain
rubber pads 33 below the weights 31 and 32 to buffer the shock of
any of the weights 31 or 32 that freefall due to rupture of the
respective cable 16. Closed at the bottom, the tubes also help
buffer the freefall by partial air compression with the weight
acting as a piston. The weights 31 and 32 are hung by the
respective steel cables 16, without touching the bottom of the
tubes 30, keeping these cables driven, which will always keep their
pulleys 15 in the same position when not operated.
[0029] To raise one or two fractional weight lifting plates 31 and
32, in conjunction with the selected unit weights 4 of the tower,
the electronic command panel drives one or both of the linear
actuators 24. The actuator 24 pushes the rod 20 axially into the
shaft 11, which, by means of its pin 21, conducts the disk 19
towards the pulley 15, joining the couplings 17 and 18, such that
the pulley 15 thereafter turns in conjunction with the shaft 11.
The pulley 15 thus winds the cable 16, suspending the weight 31 or
32, or both. When the unit weight 4 of the tower weighs 10
kilograms, for example, fractional weight lifting plates weighing
five kilograms and two and a half kilograms may be used, such that
selective operations of the two linear actuators 24 may fill the
interval between 10 kilogram weights in four equal intervals.
[0030] The disk 26 and the optical sensors 27 read the angular
movement of the pulley 8, which is related to the linear movement
of the steel cable 7 and, therefore, to the displacement of the
unit weights 4. The displacement data, for example, may be relayed
to the electronic panel of the workout station, which interprets
the displacement data and the weight data provided by an
appropriate sensor of the selection system and displays the energy
expended in the exercise on the panel screen.
[0031] While the present invention has been described in connection
with preferred aspects, it will be understood by those skilled in
the art that variations and modifications of the preferred aspects
described above may be made without departing from the scope of the
invention. Other aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the
art from a consideration of the specification or from a practice of
the invention disclosed herein.
* * * * *