Fitness equipment that can sense exercise resistance

Abstract

A fitness device for users to perform body movements against elastic resistance includes: a frame, a plurality of elastically bendable elastic rods disposed on the frame, at least one selector selectively engaging with at least one elastic rod, at least one motion element that can be moved by the user, at least one pulley disposed on the frame, and at least one rope slidably passing through the pulley and operatively connected to the selector and the motion element; characterized in that it further includes: a sensing device capable of generating at least one electrical signal that reflects the force state of the elastic rods; a processing device capable of determining the resistance to movement of the user moving the motion element based on the electrical signal; and a display device controlled by the processing device to display the resistance to movement.

Claims

1. A fitness equipment for a user to perform body movements against elastic resistance, the fitness equipment comprising: a frame; a plurality of elastic rods disposed on the frame, each elastic rod having one or two free ends, capable of generating corresponding elastic bending and restoring force as the free ends are displaced by force; a force transmission system having at least one selector, at least one moving part, at least one pulley, and at least one rope, each selector selectively engaging with the free end of at least one elastic rod, each moving part being movable by a body part of the user, each pulley being disposed at a predetermined position on the frame, the at least one rope slidably passing through the at least one pulley and operatively connected to the at least one selector and the at least one moving part, such that the free ends of the elastic rods engaged with the selectors are linked to the at least one moving part, wherein... The further a moving component is moved away from an initial position by the user, the closer the free ends of the elastic rods forming the linkage are to a specific pulley, and the greater the degree of bending of the elastic rods. When the free end of an elastic rod is not engaged with the selection member, the distance from the free end to the specific pulley is defined as a non-stressed distance. When the free end of an elastic rod is engaged with the selection member, even if the moving component forming the linkage has not left the initial position, the free end will be subjected to the tension of the rope, making its distance to the specific pulley less than the non-stressed distance, and causing the elastic rod to bend to a predetermined degree or more. A sensing device can generate at least one electrical signal that reflects the stress state of the elastic rods. A processing device can determine the resistance to movement caused by the user moving the moving component to perform the body movement based on the electrical signal. A display device can be controlled by the processing device to display the resistance to movement.

2. The fitness equipment as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned sensing device includes a plurality of sensing units, each of which can sense the bending state of the aforementioned elastic rod.

3. The fitness equipment as described in claim 2, wherein, Each of the aforementioned sensing units can sense whether the aforementioned elastic rod has produced a bending degree greater than the aforementioned predetermined degree; the aforementioned processing device can determine whether the free end of each of the aforementioned elastic rods is engaged with the aforementioned selection member based on the aforementioned electrical signal, and then calculate the sum of the elastic force estimates of the aforementioned elastic rods engaged with the aforementioned selection member based on the pre-determined elastic force estimate of each of the aforementioned elastic rods, thereby determining the aforementioned motion resistance.

4. The fitness equipment as described in claim 3, wherein, Each of the aforementioned sensing units has a switching function. When the corresponding elastic rod does not bend to the aforementioned predetermined degree or more, the aforementioned sensing unit is in one of the circuit states of open circuit and closed circuit. Conversely, when the corresponding elastic rod bends to the aforementioned predetermined degree or more, the aforementioned sensing unit is in another of the circuit states of open circuit and closed circuit.

5. The fitness equipment as described in claim 4, wherein, Each of the aforementioned sensing units is a push-button switch, located on the frame and on the outside of the bending of the aforementioned elastic rod. When the aforementioned elastic rod does not bend to the aforementioned predetermined degree, the rod will press against the aforementioned push-button switch; conversely, when the aforementioned elastic rod bends to the aforementioned predetermined degree, the rod will release the aforementioned push-button switch. The circuit state of each of the aforementioned push-button switches determines the aforementioned electrical signal.

6. The fitness equipment as described in claim 4, wherein, The aforementioned sensing device includes at least one DC circuit. Each of the aforementioned DC circuits has a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a plurality of parallel branches connected in parallel between the aforementioned positive terminal and the aforementioned negative terminal. Each of the aforementioned parallel branches has a resistor and a pair of spaced-apart conductive terminals. The pair of conductive terminals is disposed on the aforementioned frame and located inside the bending of the aforementioned elastic rod. Each of the aforementioned elastic rods has a conductive portion. When the aforementioned elastic rod does not bend to the aforementioned predetermined degree or more, the aforementioned conductive portion will not simultaneously contact the corresponding pair of conductive terminals, making the corresponding aforementioned parallel branch an open circuit. Conversely, when the aforementioned elastic rod bends to the aforementioned predetermined degree or more, the aforementioned conductive portion will simultaneously contact the corresponding pair of conductive terminals, making the corresponding aforementioned parallel branch a closed circuit. Each of the aforementioned parallel branches constitutes the aforementioned sensing unit, and the resistance value or current value between the aforementioned positive terminal and the aforementioned negative terminal determines the aforementioned electrical signal.

7. The fitness equipment as described in claim 2, wherein, Each of the aforementioned sensing units is a pressure sensor, which is located on the frame and on the inner or outer side of the bending of the corresponding elastic rod. It maintains contact with the elastic rod at least when the elastic rod bends to a predetermined degree or more, and can generate a corresponding electrical signal according to the pressing depth or pressure applied by the elastic rod.

8. The fitness equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned sensing device includes a number of push-button switches equal to the number of free ends of the elastic rods, each push-button switch being disposed at a free end of one of the aforementioned elastic rods. When a free end of one of the aforementioned elastic rods is not engaged with the aforementioned selection member, the push-button switch disposed at the aforementioned free end is not pressed; conversely, when a free end of one of the aforementioned elastic rods is engaged with the aforementioned selection member, the push-button switch disposed at the aforementioned free end is pressed by the aforementioned selection member. The circuit state of each of the aforementioned push-button switches determines an electrical signal. The aforementioned processing device can determine whether the free end of each of the aforementioned elastic rods is engaged with the aforementioned selection member based on the aforementioned electrical signal, and then calculate the sum of the estimated elastic forces of the aforementioned elastic rods engaged with the aforementioned selection member based on the pre-determined elastic force estimate of each of the aforementioned elastic rods, thereby determining the aforementioned motion resistance.

9. The fitness equipment as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned sensing device includes at least one strain element and at least one strain gauge. Each of the aforementioned strain elements is configured to generate a corresponding strain in response to the elastic force of the aforementioned elastic rod engaged with the aforementioned selection element. Each of the aforementioned strain gauges is attached to the surface of one of the aforementioned strain elements and can generate a corresponding electrical signal in response to the strain magnitude of the aforementioned strain element.

10. The fitness equipment as described in claim 9, wherein, Each of the aforementioned strain members supports one of the aforementioned pulleys and can generate corresponding strain according to the magnitude of the force borne by the aforementioned pulleys; the aforementioned sensing device also includes at least one rotation sensor, each of the aforementioned rotation sensors can sense the rotational motion of the aforementioned pulleys supported by the aforementioned strain members; the aforementioned processing device can calculate the amount of movement of the aforementioned user driving the aforementioned motion member to perform the aforementioned body movement based on the rotational motion of the aforementioned pulleys sensed by the aforementioned rotation sensors.

Images