Direct drive for exercise machines
AssigneeICON Health & Fitness, Inc.
InventorsGreg Law, Rick Hendricksen, Paul Ricks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exercise machine includes a support structure, a crank shaft rotatably mounted on the support structure, a first planetary gear set operatively coupled to the crank shaft so that the crank shaft provides an input for the first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set operatively coupled to the first planetary gear set so that an output of the first planetary gear set provides an input for the second planetary gear set, and a flywheel rotatably operatively coupled to the second planetary gear set so that an output of the second planetary gear set rotates the flywheel.
Claims23
An exercise machine, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a crank shaft rotatably mounted on the support structure;
- a first planetary gear set, comprising:
- a first sun gear rotatably mounted on the crank shaft,
- a first planet carrier mounted on the crank shaft and secured thereto for rotation with the crank shaft,
- a first planet gear rotatably mounted on the first planet carrier and meshing with the first sun gear, and
- a first ring gear encircling and meshing with the first planet gear;
- a second planetary gear set, comprising:
- a second sun gear rotatably mounted on the crank shaft,
- a second planet carrier rotatably mounted on the crank shaft,
- a second planet gear rotatably mounted on the second planet carrier and meshing with the second sun gear, and
- a second ring gear encircling and meshing with the second planet gear, wherein the first planetary gear set is operatively connected to the second planetary gear set such that an output rotation of the first planetary gear set causes an input rotation of the second planetary gear set;
- and
- a flywheel rotatably mounted on the crank shaft and being operatively connected to the second planetary gear set such that output rotation of the second planetary gear set causes rotation of the flywheel.
An elliptical exercise machine, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a crank shaft rotatably mounted on the support structure;
- a first planetary gear set operatively coupled to the crank shaft so that the crank shaft provides an input for the first planetary gear set;
- a second planetary gear set operatively coupled to the first planetary gear set so that an output of the first planetary gear set provides an input for the second planetary gear set;
- and
- a flywheel rotatably operatively coupled to the second planetary gear set so that an output of the second planetary gear set rotates the flywheel.
A direct drive mechanism for an elliptical exercise machine, comprising:
- a crank shaft rotatably mounted on a support structure of the elliptical exercise machine;
- a first planetary gear set, comprising:
- a first sun gear rotatably mounted on the crank shaft,
- a first planet carrier mounted on the crank shaft and secured thereto for rotation with the crank shaft, three first planet gears rotatably mounted on and circumferentially spaced around the first planet carrier and meshing with the first sun gear, and
- a first ring gear encircling and meshing with the first planet gears;
- a second planetary gear set, comprising:
- a second sun gear rotatably mounted on the crank shaft,
- a second planet carrier rotatably mounted on the crank shaft and having the first sun gear secured thereto for rotation there with, three second planet gears rotatably mounted on and circumferentially spaced around the second planet carrier and meshing with the second sun gear, and
- a second ring gear encircling and meshing with the three second planet gears;
- and
- a flywheel rotatably mounted on the crank shaft and having the second sun gear secured thereto for rotation there with.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.