Adjustable Ab Wheel With Opposite Threaded Shafts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ab wheels have uneven weight distribution and safety issues due to a single wheel design, leading to potential falls and inadequate fitness effectiveness with moving handles that complicate proper form.

Innovation Solution

An adjustable ab wheel with two wheels mounted on a main shaft, featuring external threaded sections with opposite thread directions, allowing the wheels to approach and abut each other to brake, maintaining even weight distribution and preventing falls, while handles remain stationary to ensure proper form.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single wheel is used in the ab wheel, then the device structure is simple, but the weight distribution becomes uneven causing user injury

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel structureVSAvoidweight distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The single wheel is divided into two separate wheels mounted on opposite sides of the shaft. This segmentation ensures that the weight is distributed evenly across both wheels, preventing the user from leaning or falling due to uneven weight distribution, while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If handles are made movable to prevent over-rolling, then safety is improved, but the user's arms must move in coordination with body movements creating danger

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidarm coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The safety function is extracted from the handles and transferred to the wheels themselves. The wheels are designed to move along the threaded sections and abut against each other to prevent over-rolling, eliminating the need for the handles to move. This keeps the handles stationary, making it safe for users of all levels without requiring arm coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If two handles move inward and outward to prevent over-rolling, then the user cannot roll forward anymore, but the user's body and arms go up and down making it dangerous

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverolling controlVSAvoiduser injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The wheels are designed to automatically move along the threaded sections and abut against each other based on the user's rolling action. This self-regulating mechanism prevents over-rolling without requiring the handles to move or the user to perform additional coordination actions. The system serves itself by using the rolling motion to trigger the abutment that stops further rolling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If a single wheel abuts against a handle, then over-rolling is prevented, but the wheel becomes near one end of the shaft creating uneven weight distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverolling limitationVSAvoidweight distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The single wheel is segmented into two wheels positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the shaft. When the wheels roll forward, they move along the threaded sections toward the handles and abut against each other. This symmetric arrangement ensures that the weight distribution remains even throughout the rolling motion, preventing the user from leaning or falling while still achieving the rolling limitation function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The adjustable ab wheel ensures even weight distribution and enhanced safety for users of all levels, preventing falls and allowing adjustable intensity based on user preference.

Implementation Method 1

The main shaft has two external threaded sections extending from a middle section of the main shaft and respectively toward the two opposite ends of the main shaft. Each one of the two external threaded sections has a thread direction which is opposite to the thread direction of the other one of the two external threaded sections. Each one of the two wheels has a threaded hole axially defined through the wheel and mounted with a respective one of the two external threaded sections. The two wheels move along the corresponding external threaded sections to approach and abut against each other or to move away from each other when the two wheels rotate around the main shaft.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectScrew mechanism: Screw

Data Source

PatentUS11918853B2Adjustable AB wheel

Publication Date: 2024.03.05 T K CHIN CO LTD

AI summary

An adjustable ab wheel has a main shaft and two wheels mounted on the main shaft. The main shaft has two external threaded sections. Each one of the two external threaded sections has a thread direction opposite to the thread direction of the other one of the two external threaded sections. Each one of the two wheels has a threaded hole axially defined through the wheel and mounted with a respective one of the two external threaded sections. When a user rolls the two wheels forward, the two wheels approach each other and abut against each other. Abutment between the two wheels allows the two wheels to brake themselves, so that the adjustable ab wheel can prevent users from over rolling the two wheels forward and suddenly falling down to the floor.