Exercise and rehabilitation apparatus with adjustable constant load resistance unit
AssigneeHughes Super Flex, Inc.
InventorPaul G Hughes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exercise and rehabilitation apparatus is provided having resistance load units comprising a resistance drum rotabably coupled to a user crank handle mechanism, a friction strap surrounds the resistance drum wherein the level of friction resistance between the drum and the resistance load unit housing is user selectable thereby selecting the force required to rotate the user crank. Once user adjusted the resistance load unit provides a constant load to the user crank. Resistance load units are mounted opposingly providing a left and right hand user crank. A variety of user crank embodiments are provided for simulating the forces and motion experienced by a user in various sporting, exercising and rehabilitation user activities.
Claims18
A constant resistance load exercise apparatus comprising at least one resistance unit having
- a housing,
- a central shaft with proximate and distal ends fixed to the housing,
- a handle hub disposed concentrically and rotatably to the distal end of the central shaft,
- a resistance drum, having proximate and distal ends, being cylindrically shaped with a circumferential surface and disposed concentrically and rotatably around the central shaft and having a plate, disposed perpendicular to the central shaft, forming the distal end,
- a sprag clutch, having a preselected direction of rotation, concentrically disposed between the distal end of the resistance drum and the handle hub, mechanically coupling the resistance drum to the handle hub through the sprag clutch,
- a friction strap, having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface disposed around a surface of the resistance drum,
- a resistance band surrounding the friction strap, the friction strap being retained by fasteners to the resistance band;
- and,
- a means for adjusting the tension of the resistance band against the top surface of the friction strap, the means for adjusting the tension of the resistance band being fixed to the housing and resistance band, and disposed between the housing and the resistance band wherein selectably adjusting the tension on the resistance band adjusts the friction between the friction strap and the resistance drum thereby respectively adjusting the force required to rotate the resistance drum relative to the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.