Simulated-kayak, upper-body aerobic exercise machine
OwnerRaoul East Drapeauinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A small machine that can be removably mounted on a wall and may be used while sitting or standing to provide aerobic exercise without requiring the use of the legs. The machine simulates the action of a kayak by using an alternating power strokes from the arms, with an inertial component and adjustable retarding forces created by frictional and various speed-dependent mechanisms. A unidirectionally-rotating flywheel simulates the mass of the kayak plus operator, while friction pads, an eddy current generator and air vanes operating on the flywheel provide additional retarding forces. Various ways to grip the ends of the cord are provided, including individual hand grips and a single long shaft with or without paddles at either end.
Claims23
A system for providing aerobic exercise comprising:
- a) a supporting, non-flexible base for mounting components of said system and for removably attaching said system to a rigid surface;
- b) a single, two-ended flexible cord, with snap connector means at both ends for removably attaching hand grips;
- c) first and second ports, each having a throat and located at opposed ends of said base for receiving therethrough said cord, two pulleys for guiding movement of said cord within said base and guide means associated with each pulley for assuring contact between each said pulley and said cord;
- d) a drum rotatably attached to said base on a drum shaft located between said pulleys and around which one or more turns of the cord is wrapped, and whose surface has a high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage of said cord;
- e) a direction-rectify device attached to said base and driven by said drum, such that an output shaft thereof always rotates in a same direction regardless of the rotation direction of said drum;
- f) a flywheel rotatable about an axis and attached to and driven by said output shaft at said axis, said flywheel having a radius of rotation larger than the radius of said drum, said flywheel having an annular disk at or near its outer periphery for applying retarding forces;
- and
- g) means for applying a frictional retarding force to said disk portion.
A system for providing aerobic exercise comprising:
- a supporting, non-flexible base for mounting components of said system and for removably attaching said system to a wall;
- a single, two-ended flexible cord, with a hand grip at each of both ends of said cord;
- first and second ports made of low friction material and each having a conical throat and located at opposed ends of said base for receiving therethrough said cord, two grooved pulleys for guiding movement of said cord within said base and a rubber idler wheel associated with each pulley for assuring contact between each said pulley and said cord;
- a drum rotatably attached to said base on a drum shaft located between said pulleys and around which one or more turns of the cord is wrapped, and whose surface has a high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage of said cord;
- a direction-rectifying device attached to said base and driven by said drum, such that an output shaft thereof always rotates in a same direction regardless of a rotation direction of said drum;
- a flywheel rotatable about an axis and attached to and driven by said output shaft at said axis, said flywheel having a radius of rotation larger than a radius of said drum, said flywheel having an annular disk at or near its outer periphery for applying retarding forces;
- and
- means for applying a frictional retarding force to said disk portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.