Passive hydraulic resistance system
AssigneeOlsen Controls, Inc.
InventorsZenny Olsen, Benny Olsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A exercising machine has a pivotal lever and includes a passive electrohydraulic resistance system which provides controlled resistance to lever movement. Hydraulic fluid which may leak from a piston-cylinder assembly, which comprises part of the system, collects in a sump and is sucked into the piston-cylinder assembly during the normal operating cycle of the exercise machine.
Claims11
A passive hydraulic resistance system charged with hydraulic fluid and comprising a housing and a piston assembly including a piston supported for movement in one and an opposite direction within and relative to said housing and connecting means in the form of a connecting rod for driving said piston in said one and said opposite direction in response to forces applied to said rod, said piston assembly cooperating with said housing to define first and second chambers of variable volume separated from each other by said piston, said piston and rod being movable within and relative to said housing to simultaneously decrease the volume of one of said chambers and increase the volume of the other of said chambers, said piston and rod displacing a greater volume of fluid in moving in one direction to expel fluid from said first chamber than in moving through an equal distance in an opposite direction within and relative to said housing to expel fluid from said second chamber, a sump for containing a quantity of hydraulic fluid, control valve means for exclusively regulating hydraulic fluid flow within said system, means defining a first flow path from said first chamber to said second chamber, first check valve means for allowing fluid flow along said first path from said first chamber to said second chamber and preventing fluid flow along said first path from said second chamber to said first chamber, means for defining a second flow path from said first chamber to said control valve means, said first check valve means allowing fluid flow from said first chamber along said second flow path to said control valve means and preventing fluid flow along said second flow path to said first chamber, a portion of said first flow path between said first check valve means and said second chamber being connected with the second flow path and thereby with the control valve means and allowing unrestricted fluid flow to and from said second chamber, means defining a third flow path from said control valve means to said sump for allowing fluid flow from said control valve means to said sump, means defining a fourth flow path from said sump to said first chamber in bypassing relation to said control valve means, and second check valve means for allowing fluid flow along said fourth flow path from said sump to said first chamber and preventing fluid flow along said fourth flow path from said first chamber to said sump.
A passive hydraulic resistance system charged with hydraulic fluid and comprising a housing and a piston assembly including a piston supported for movement in one and an opposite direction within and relative to said housing and connecting means in the form of a connecting rod for driving said piston in said one and said opposite direction in response to forces applied to said rod, said piston assembly cooperating with said housing to define first and second chambers of variable volume separated from each other by said piston, said piston and rod being movable within and relative to said housing to simultaneously decrease the volume of one of said chambers and increase the volume of the other of said chambers, said piston and rod displacing a greater volume of fluid in moving in one direction to expel fluid from said first chamber than in moving through an equal distance in an opposite direction within and relative to said housing to expel fluid from said second chamber, a sump for holding a quantity of hydraulic fluid, control valve means for exclusively regulating hydraulic fluid flow within said system, means defining a first flow path from said first chamber to said second chamber for directing fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber exclusive of the sump and the control valve means, first check valve means for allowing fluid flow along said first path from said first chamber to said second chamber and preventing fluid flow along said first path from said second chamber to said first chamber, means for defining a second flow path from said second chamber to said control valve means, said first check valve means causing fluid flow from said second chamber to move along said second flow path to said control valve means when said piston is moved in said opposite direction within and relative to said housing, said first flow path between said first check valve means and said second chamber also being in fluid communication with the control valve means by way of the second flow path, means defining a third flow path from said control valve means to said sump for allowing fluid flow from said control valve means to said sump, and means defining a fourth flow path from said sump to said first chamber in bypassing relation to said control valve means, and allowing a fluid flow along said fourth flow path from said sump to said first chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.