Exercise apparatus
AssigneeKeiser Corporation
InventorDennis L. Keiser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exercise apparatus includes a compact resistance unit that houses a pneumatic cylinder. The cylinder is connected to a pulley wheel that moves at least toward the cylinder. A main cable extends about a portion of the pulley wheel. One end of the main cable is fixed to the unit housing and the other end is attached to a pulley block of a block-and-tackle mechanism. A user cable extends through the block-and-tackle mechanism and is connected to a handle. The pneumatic cylinder resists movement of the handle away from the unit.
Claims44
An exercise apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a user interface movable between a retracted position and an extended position;
- a pneumatic actuator having a cylinder and a piston rod that extends from the cylinder along a stroke axis, the pneumatic actuator being disposed on the frame;
- a pulley wheel rotatably connected to the piston rod;
- and
- a cable wrapped about at least a portion of the pulley wheel and having a first cable end and a second cable end, the second cable end being fixed to the frame and the first cable end being coupled to the user interface.
The exercise apparatus of claim 15, additionally comprising a guide for the pulley wheel that is connected to the frame, the guide being disposed generally to the same side of the pneumatic actuator as the fixed second end of the cable.
An exercise system comprising:
- a station frame;
- a resistance unit being configured to provide an exercise resistance force and cooperating with a user interface, the resistance unit being movably connected to the station frame so that the resistance unit can be moved between at least a first position and a second position.
An exercise apparatus comprising a pneumatic cylinder, a first air reservoir and at least a second air reservoir, the pneumatic cylinder and the reservoirs operatively connected by at least one air equalization line so as to maintain generally equal air pressures within the cylinder and the reservoirs, the second reservoir selectively communicating with the first reservoir and the cylinder.
An exercise apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a user interface movable between a retracted position and an extended position;
- a pneumatic actuator having a cylinder and a piston rod that extends from the cylinder along a stroke axis, the pneumatic actuator being disposed on the frame;
- a pulley system disposed at least in part next to the pneumatic actuator, the pulley system coupled to the user interface;
- and
- means for coupling the pneumatic actuator to the pulley system so as to provide resistance to movement of the user interface toward the extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.