Rotational Cam Disc for Intuitive Exercise Resistance Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing exercise apparatus requires users to manually and sequentially press locking pins to adjust resistance, which is not intuitive and can lead to incorrect indexing, resulting in unintended resistance levels and a high offset load.
Innovation Solution
A user-engageable rotational cam disc with camming surfaces that automatically and incrementally engage or release locking pins to increase or decrease exercise resistance, providing tactile feedback and allowing for resistance adjustment in a more user-friendly manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users manually press locking pins sequentially to adjust resistance, then resistance can be changed, but the operation is not intuitive and can lead to incorrect indexing
Solution Approach 1:
The cam disc provides tactile feedback through its camming surfaces that progressively engage or disengage locking pins as the disc rotates. This tactile feedback mechanism guides the user through the resistance adjustment process, making it intuitive while ensuring accurate indexing by physically indicating the current resistance level through the cam's position and texture variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam disc automatically performs the indexing function as it rotates. The camming surfaces are designed to automatically engage or disengage the locking pins in a predetermined sequence based on the cam's rotation, eliminating the need for manual sequential pressing and ensuring accurate resistance selection without user error.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple locking pins are used to provide resistance levels, then resistance variety is achieved, but the complexity of adjusting resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple locking pins that individually control different resistance levels are merged into a single cam disc mechanism. The cam disc integrates the control of all locking pins into one unified component, allowing the user to adjust multiple resistance levels simultaneously through a single rotational motion, thereby reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam disc is pre-configured with camming surfaces that are positioned to engage or disengage specific locking pins at predetermined rotation points. This preliminary arrangement of the cam surfaces ensures that when the user rotates the disc, the locking pins are automatically activated in the correct sequence, simplifying the adjustment process while providing multiple resistance options.
3Ease of operation
If locking pins are manually pressed to adjust resistance, then resistance can be modified, but offset load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cam disc automatically performs the locking pin engagement and disengagement actions through its rotational motion. The camming surfaces are designed to progressively apply force to the locking pins, automatically securing or releasing them without requiring the user to manually press each pin. This self-service mechanism reduces the offset load by eliminating the need for manual pin pressing forces.
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 solution simplifies resistance adjustment, reduces the risk of incorrect indexing, and minimizes offset loads, making it easier for users to achieve desired resistance levels with a more intuitive and efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
A user-engageable rotational cam disc with camming surfaces that automatically and incrementally engage or release locking pins to increase or decrease exercise resistance
Data Source
AI summary
Exercise apparatus has a rotary camming disc selectively configured to engage respective locking pins for engaging and disengaging selective numbers of force resistors for varying exercise resistance.