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US 6,638,201 B1Granted
Cam action exercise apparatus with asymmetric energy management
AssigneeDelphi Oracle Corp.
InventorLouis Dischler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact push-pull exercise apparatus having a partial turn outer cam surface in contact with a random surface such as a floor, and one or more handles rotatably mounted to the cam rotational axis. The operator begins an exercise cycle in the kneeling position with hands on the handles and with arms generally near the vertical position. The operator pushes the apparatus forward to a stopping position with the operator nearly prone. During the first portion of the forward movement, gravitational energy is stored as the cam rotational axis is lifted. As the operator reverses the movement from the prone position to the kneeling position, gravitational energy is released during the first portion of the in-stroke to ease the return motion during the most difficult portion of the exercise cycle.
Claims27
An exercise apparatus for use with a random surface, comprising:
- a wheel having a first axis and a first outer surface, wherein said first outer surface is engageable with the random surface so as to rotate about said first axis, and wherein said first axis has a varying vertical displacement from the random surface during rotation of said wheel when said first outer surface is in contact with the random surface and said first axis is parallel to said random surface;
- a shaft extending along said first axis;
- at least one hand support mounted to said shaft and rotatable relative to said wheel;
- and
- a first roller having a second outer surface, said first roller rotatably fixed to said wheel, said first roller having a second axis not coincident with said first axis, wherein at least a portion of said second outer surface extends beyond said first outer surface, whereby rotation of said wheel about said first axis is substantially stopped when said second outer surface contacts the random surface during use.
2 more elements
An exercise apparatus for performing an exercise comprising kneel-prone and prone-kneel strokes with a random surface, comprising:
- a first wheel having an first axis and a first outer surface, wherein said first outer surface is rotatably engageable with the random surface, wherein said first axis has an increasing vertical displacement from the random surface during a rotation through a rotation angle of at least 90 degrees in a first rotational direction of said first roller when said first outer surface is in contact with the random surface, and said first axis is parallel to the random surface;
- a shaft extending along said first axis and through said first wheel;
- at least a first handle mounted to said shaft and rotatable relative to said first wheel;
- and
- a first projection from said first outer surface whereby said projection prevents said first roller from rotating about said first axis when said first wheel is rotated in contact with the random surface, so that said first wheel is limited to a rotation of less than 360 degrees during either the kneel-prone or prone-kneel strokes.
2 more elements
A kneel-prone-kneel exercise apparatus for use on a random surface by an operator for performing an exercise having kneel-prone and prone-kneel strokes, comprising:
- a first wheel having an first axis and a first outer surface, wherein said first axis has an increasing vertical displacement from the random surface during a rotation through an exercise angle of said first wheel in a first rotational direction of said first wheel when said first outer surface is in contact with the random surface, and said first axis is parallel to the random surface;
- grip means for one or both hands of the operator, rotatably attached about said first axis to said first wheel;
- wherein the kneel-prone stroke has a first kneel-prone translational portion wherein said first outer surface rotates and said vertical displacement of said first axis from the random surface increases so that gravitational energy is stored thereby, and a second kneel-prone translational portion subsequent to said first kneel-prone translational portion wherein said first outer surface is substantially irrotational and said vertical displacement is substantially unchanged;
- and
- wherein the prone-kneel stroke has a first prone-kneel translational portion wherein said outer surface rotates and said vertical displacement of said first axis from the random surface decreases so that gravitational energy is released thereby, and a second prone-kneel translational portion subsequent to said first prone-kneel translational portion wherein said outer surface is substantially irrotational and said vertical displacement is substantially unchanged.
2 more elements
A bi-directional exercise apparatus for employment by a operator in forward and reverse directions while in contact with a random surface, comprising:
- a first wheel having a first rotational axis, said first wheel comprising a cam surface for contact with the supporting surface;
- a grip for one or both hands of the operator, rotatably attached to said first wheel at said first rotational axis;
- a first portion of said cam surface, wherein said cam surface slips or rolls on the supporting surface without rotation of said first wheel about said first rotational axis when said first wheel is employed in the forward direction, and wherein said cam surface grips the random surface and rotates about said first rotational axis when said first wheel is employed in the reverse direction;
- a second portion of said cam surface, wherein said cam surface slips or rolls on the supporting surface without rotation of said first wheel about said first rotational axis when said first wheel is employed in the reverse direction, and wherein said cam surface grips the random surface and rotates about said first rotational axis when said first wheel is employed in the forward direction;
- and
- a third portion of said cam surface between said first portion and said second portion, wherein said cam surface grips the random surface and rotates about said first rotational axis when used in either the reverse or forward directions;
- and
- wherein said first rotational axis has a vertical displacement from the random surface when said first rotational axis is parallel to the random surface, wherein said vertical surface varies from a first value to a different second value during rotation about said first rotational axis within said third portion.
5 more elements
A method for exercising by an operator, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a wheel in contact with a random surface, wherein said wheel comprises a peripheral surface for contact with said random support surface, an axis having a vertical displacement from said random surface when said axis is parallel to said random surface, and at least one handle rotatably attached to said axis;
- (b) grasping said at least one handle with at least one hand of the operator while the operator is in a kneeling position;
- (c) pushing said wheel away from the operator with a kneel-prone stroke so that said kneel-prone stroke has a first portion wherein said wheel translates along said random surface by rotating about said axis, and a second portion wherein said wheel translates along said random surface without rotation about said axis, and wherein said vertical displacement is greater during said second portion than said first portion;
- and
- (d) pulling said wheel towards said operator with a prone-kneel stroke so that said prone-kneel stroke has a third portion wherein said wheel translates along said random surface by rotating about said axis, and a fourth portion wherein said wheel translates along said random surface without rotation about said axis, and wherein said vertical displacement is greater during said third portion than said fourth portion;
- whereby the difficulty of performing step (d) by the operator is eased.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.