US 5,180,353 AGranted

Hydraulic resistive apparatus for exercise equipment

AssigneeCSA, Inc.

InventorFredric Snyderman

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Abstract

A hydraulic resistive apparatus that is used in exercise equipment includes a resistive device and a heat dissipating device. The resistive device includes a cylinder and a piston that are movable relative to one another. A working fluid is contained within the cylinder. The heat dissipating device is securely engaged to the outside of the cylinder and includes a tubular body having a plurality of cooling fins extending from its external surface. As heat is generated by the relative movement of the cylinder and piston, it is conducted to the heat dissipating device and then radiated into the surrounding environment. The body of the heat dissipating device includes a longitudinal slit that permits temporary opening of the body so as to permit it to be slid onto the cylinder and, when released, results in full surface-to-surface contact between the heat dissipating device and cylinder.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An exercise apparatus for performing a variety of exercises, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a hydraulic resistive device, said hydraulic resistive device providing a hydraulic resistive force for the exercise apparatus, said device including a cylinder and a piston, said piston constrained for reciprocal movement in said cylinder, a working fluid contained in said cylinder, said working fluid within said cylinder providing a resistive force when said cylinder and said piston are moved relative to one another during operation of the exercise apparatus, heat being generated when said hydraulic resistive device is operated;
and
(b) a heat dissipating device securely engaged to an outer surface of said cylinder, said heat dissipating device including an axially extending, substantially cylindrical tubular sleeve, said sleeve having a body section, an inner diameter of said body section sized such that substantially all of an inner surface of said body section is in surface-to-surface contact with the cylinder of the hydraulic resistive device, and a plurality of fins extending radially from an outer surface of said body section;
(c) said heat dissipating device dissipating heat generated by the relative movement of said piston and said cylinder during operation of said hydraulic resistive device of said exercise apparatus to maintain said working fluid within a selected viscosity range.

1 more element

An improved exercise apparatus of the type utilizing an hydraulic resistive device to provide a hydraulic resistive force, the hydraulic resistive device including a cylinder and a piston, the piston being constrained for reciprocal movement in the cylinder, a working fluid contained in the cylinder, the working fluid within the cylinder providing a resistive force when the piston and the cylinder are moved relative to one another during operation of the exercise apparatus, heat being generated by the movement of the working fluid within the cylinder when the cylinder and piston are moved relative to each other, said improvement comprising:

a heat dissipating device for dissipating the heat generated by the movement of the piston in the cylinder of the hydraulic resistive device during operation of the exercise apparatus, said heat dissipating device securely engaged to an outer surface of the cylinder, said heat dissipating device including an axially extending, substantially cylindrical tubular sleeve, said sleeve having a body section, an inner diameter of said body section sized such that substantially all of an inner surface of said body section is in surface-to-surface contact with the cylinder of the hydraulic resistive device, and a plurality of fins extending radially from an outer surface of said body section.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.