US 6,662,651 B1 · Portable exercise device

Abstract

A portable exercise device (20) having a force measuring system (28) and a length adjuster (30). The exercise device includes a pulley/securing device assembly (22) and a cord (24) having a gripping structure (26) at each of its ends. The pulley/securing device assembly has a pulley (38) for engaging the cord and a securing device (34) for securing the exercise device to a door (46). The force measuring system engages one of the gripping structures and determines magnitude of a tensile force (68) applied to that gripping member. The force measuring system is in communication with an electronic display (88′) that displays the magnitude of the tensile force to a user (27). The force measuring system may be powered by batteries (104, 104′) contained in the housing of the force measuring system, contained in a handgrip (52) of the gripping structure, or located aboard the electrified glove, may be powered by a power generating system (132) driven by the pulley during, or may be powered by a piezoelectric sensor (72) used to measure the force applied to the cord. The length adjuster includes a body (162) having a plurality of slots (164) that threadedly receive a portion of the cord and allow a user to create, and adjust the size of, an excess loop (190) to change the effective length of the cord.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a) an exercise device that provides a resistive force to a user;
and
b) a force measuring system for measuring said resistive force, said force measuring system including:
i) a generally trangular-shaped force-carrying element comprising:
A) a first leg and a second leg that generally converge with one another to form a crotch having a center, each of said first and second legs having a distal end spaced from said crotch;
and
B) a third leg extending between said distal ends of said first and second legs to keep said distal ends spaced from one another:
and
ii) a sensor, operatively coupled to said first and second legs between said crotch and said third leg, for sensing a change in distance between said first and second legs when said resistive force is applied to said third leg along a line extending through said center of said crotch.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable exercise device

Life of this patent

Portable exercise device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3