US20040185988A1

US20040185988A1 - Exerciser with an adjustable resistance providing member

Info

Publication number: US20040185988A1
Application number: US10/393,734
Authority: US
Inventors: Bob Hsiung; Brian Lewallen; Yen-Shou Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-21
Filing date: 2003-03-21
Publication date: 2004-09-23

Abstract

An exerciser includes a base, a post extending upright from the base, a lever pivoted to and extending transversely from the post, a resistance providing member interconnecting the base and the lever, an upper pulley mounted rotatably on a free end of the lever, a lower pulley mounted rotatably on the base, and a string fixed to the base, extending upwardly from the base and over the upper pulley, and downwardly from the upper pulley and over the lower pulley so as to permit rotation of the lever when the string is pulled away from the lower pulley.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an exerciser, more particularly to an exerciser with an adjustable resistance providing member.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional exercisers,,such as weight stack exercisers, are too heavy for transport. Moreover, many conventional stretching exercisers can only provide fitness on one part of the body, such as the arm or leg.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an exerciser that is relatively light and simple and that can provide fitness on many parts of the body.

According to the present invention, there is provided an exerciser that comprises: a supporting frame having a base with opposite front and rear ends, and an upright post that extends upright from the front end and that has a top end; a lever having a pivot end that is pivoted to the top end of the upright post so as to permit rotation of the lever relative to the supporting frame, and a free end that is opposite to the pivot end, the lever extending from the upright post in a first transverse direction relative to the upright post; a resistance providing member interconnecting the supporting frame and the lever so as to provide resistance to rotation of the lever; a pulley mechanism including an upper pulley unit mounted rotatably on the free end of the lever and including at least an upper pulley, and a lower pulley unit mounted rotatably on the supporting frame, disposed below and aligned with the upper pulley unit, and including at least a lower pulley; and a string having a free end, and a fixed end that is fixed to the supporting frame. The string extends upwardly from the fixed end to the upper pulley, passes over the upper pulley, extends downwardly from the upper pulley to the lower pulley, and then passes under the lower pulley so as to permit rotation of the lever when the free end of the string is pulled away from the pulley mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, [0007]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exerciser embodying this invention; [0008]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the exerciser of FIG. 1 ; [0009]
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the exerciser of FIG. 1; [0010]
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view to illustrate how the resistance to rotation of a lever of the exerciser of FIG. 1 can be adjusted; [0011]
FIG. 5 is a side view to illustrate how the exerciser can be operated by hand and how a string is lifted to an upper position; [0012]
FIG. 6 is a front view to illustrate the exercising state of the exerciser of FIG. 5; [0013]
FIG. 7 is a side view to illustrate how the string of the exerciser of FIG. 1 is lifted by hand from a lower position; [0014]
FIG. 8 is a side view to illustrate how the string of the exerciser of FIG. 1 is lifted by one leg; [0015]
FIG. 9 is a side view to illustrate how the string is lifted from a lower position using one's waist; and [0016]
FIG. 10 is a side view to illustrate how the string is lifted from the lower position in FIG. 9 to an upper position using one's waist.[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. [0018] 1 to 4 illustrate the preferred embodiment of an exerciser according to the present invention. The exerciser includes: a supporting frame 10 having a base 11 with opposite front and rear ends 111, 112, and an upright frame part 12 that includes two parallel upright posts 121 extending upright from the front end 111 of the base 11 and respectively having top ends; a lever 19 having a pivot end 190 that is pivoted to the top end of one of the upright posts 121 so as to permit rotation of the lever 19 relative to the supporting frame 10, and a free end 191 that is opposite to the pivot end 190, the lever 19 extending from said one of the upright posts 121 in a first transverse direction relative to the upright posts 121 toward the other of the upright posts 121; a resistance providing member 20 disposed between the upright posts 121 and interconnecting the front end 111 of the base 11 of the supporting frame 10 and the lever 19 so as to provide resistance to rotation of the lever 19; a pulley mechanism including an upper pulley unit 3 mounted rotatably on the free end 191 of the lever 19 and including a pair of first and second upper pulleys 31, 32, a lower pulley unit 4 mounted rotatably on the front end 111 of the base 11 of the supporting frame 10, disposed below and aligned with the upper pulley unit 3, and including a pair of first and second lower pulleys 41, 42, a side pulley 5 mounted rotatably on the front end 111 of the base 11 and disposed adjacent to and aligned with the second lower pulley 42 in the first transverse direction, and a front pulley 6 mounted rotatably on the rear end 112 of the base 11 and aligned with the side pulley 5 in a second transverse direction that is transverse to the first transverse direction and the upright posts 121; and a string 7 having a free end 71, and a fixed end 72 that is fixed to the supporting frame 10. The string 7 extends upwardly from the fixed end 72 to the first upper pulley 31, passes over the first upper pulley 31, extends downwardly from the first upper pulley 31 to the first lower pulley 41, passes under the first lower pulley 41, extends upwardly from the first lower pulley 41 to the second upper pulley 32, passes over the second upper pulley 32, extends downwardly from the second upper pulley 32 to the second lower pulley 42, passes under the second lower pulley 42, extends laterally from the second lower pulley 42 to the side pulley 5 in the first transverse direction, passes by the side pulley 5, extends laterally from the side pulley 5 to the front pulley 6 in the second transverse direction, and then passes under the front pulley 6. Accordingly, the lever 19 is rotated upon pulling the free end 71 of the string 7 away from the front pulley 6 of the pulley mechanism. A stopper 22 is fixed to the free end 71 of the string 7. A pair of foot steps 18 are mounted on the front end 112 of the base 11.
In this preferred embodiment, the [0019] resistance providing member 20 is a hydraulically operated device, and includes a hydraulic cylinder 202 that is pivoted to the front end 111 of the base 11, and a piston 201 that telescopically extends into the hydraulic cylinder 202 and that has a pivot end 2011 connected to the lever 19. Alternatively, the resistance providing member 20 can be a spring for providing resistance to rotation of the lever 19.
The [0020] lever 19 is formed with a plurality of positioning holes 193 that are aligned along the length of the lever 19. The resistance providing member 20 further includes a coupler 2012 and a pin 2013 (see FIG. 4). The coupler 2012 is in the form of a U-shaped plate that has two opposing arms 2014 which are disposed at two opposite sides of the lever 19. The pivot end 2011 of the piston 201 is pivoted to the opposing arms 2014. The pin 2013 extends through the opposing arms 2014 and a selected one of the positioning holes 193 in the lever 19 so as to position the pivot end 2011 of the piston 201 at the selected one of the positioning holes 193 and so as to adjust the resistance provided by the resistance providing member 20 to rotation of the lever 19. The resistance is largest for the positioning hole 193 closest to the free end 191 of the lever 19.
FIGS. [0021] 5 to 7 illustrate operation states of the exerciser of this invention during exercising with both hands of the user. The free end 71 of the string 7 is connected to a chain 23 through the stopper 22. A gripping member 232, which is in the form of a handle, is provided on the chain 23. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the string 7 is pulled upwardly from a lower position shown in FIG. 7 by the user to rotate the lever 19 downwardly, which, in turn, results in movement of the piston 201 into the hydraulic cylinder 202.
FIG. 8 illustrates an operation state of the exerciser of this invention during exercising with one leg of the user. The [0022] handle 232 shown in FIG. 5 is replaced by a belt 242 that can be sleeved on the leg of the user.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate operation states of the exerciser of this invention during exercising of the waist of the user. The [0023] handle 232 shown in FIG. 5 is replaced by a strap 25 that can be sleeved on the waist of the user.
With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended claims. [0024]

Claims

We claim:

1. An exerciser comprising:

a supporting frame having a base with opposite front and rear ends, and an upright post that extends upright from said front end and that has a top end;

a lever having a pivot end that is pivoted to said top end of said upright post so as to permit rotation of said lever relative to said supporting frame, and a free end that is opposite to said pivot end, said lever extending from said upright post in a first transverse direction relative to said upright post;

a resistance providing member interconnecting said supporting frame and said lever so as to provide resistance to rotation of said lever;

a pulley mechanism including an upper pulley unit mounted rotatably on said free end of said lever and including at least an upper pulley, and a lower pulley unit mounted rotatably on said supporting frame, disposed below and aligned with said upper pulley unit, and including at least a lower pulley; and

a string having a free end, and a fixed end that is fixed to said supporting frame, said string extending upwardly from said fixed end to said upper pulley, passing over said upper pulley, extending downwardly from said upper pulley to said lower pulley, and then passing under said lower pulley so as to permit rotation of said lever when said free end of said string is pulled away from said pulley mechanism.

2. The exerciser of claim 1, wherein said resistance providing member includes a hydraulic cylinder that is pivoted to said front end of said base, and a piston that telescopically extends into said hydraulic cylinder and that has a pivot end connected to said lever.

3. The exerciser of claim 2, wherein said lever is formed with a plurality of positioning holes that are aligned along the length of said lever, said resistance providing member further including a coupler and a pin, said coupler being in the form of a U-shaped plate that has two opposing arms which are disposed at two opposite sides of said lever, said pivot end of said piston being pivoted to said opposing arms, said pin extending through said opposing arms and a selected one of said positioning holes so as to position said pivot end of said piston at said selected one of said positioning holes and so as to adjust the resistance provided by said resistance providing member to rotation of said lever.

4. The exerciser of claim 3, wherein said lower pulley is mounted rotatably on said front end of said base, said pulley mechanism further including a side pulley mounted rotatably on said front end of said base and disposed adjacent to and aligned with said lower pulley in said first transverse direction, said string extending laterally from said lower pulley to said side pulley, passing by said side pulley, and then extending laterally from said side pulley in a second transverse direction that is transverse to said first transverse direction and said upright post.

5. The exerciser of claim 4, wherein said pulley mechanism further includes a front pulley that is mounted rotatably on said rear end of said base and that is aligned with said side pulley in said second transverse direction, said string extending from said side pulley to said front pulley and then passing under said front pulley.

6. The exerciser of claim 5, further comprising a chain that is connected to said free end of said string, and a gripping member that is connected to said chain.