Cantilevered Exercise Machine Support System with Variable Incline
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current exercise machines, such as Pilates apparatuses, have design deficiencies that lead to increased risk of injury during mounting and dismounting due to the need to step over a perimeter structure, are physically large and cumbersome, and lack the ability to incline or decline, limiting exercise intensity and versatility.
Innovation Solution
A cantilevered exercise machine support system that allows for variable angles of incline or decline, reduces the overall length and width of the machine, and eliminates the need for a perimeter structure, enabling easier mounting and dismounting and increased installation density in studios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a perimeter structure with parallel rails and slidable carriage is used, then the exercise machine can provide resistance training functionality, but the overall length and width of the machine becomes large and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential resistance training functionality from the traditional perimeter structure by removing the parallel rails and slidable carriage. Instead, it uses a single overhead bar with spring biasing members attached directly to the base, eliminating the need for large rectangular frames while preserving the core exercise capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the resistance mechanism from the support structure. The spring biasing members are independently mounted to the base and connect to the overhead bar, allowing the resistance function to be separated from the perimeter frame, thereby reducing the overall machine footprint.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a perimeter structure is used to accommodate rails and slidable carriage, then resistance training can be provided, but the risk of injury during mounting and dismounting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the perimeter structure that causes injury risk during mounting and dismounting. By eliminating the rectangular frame with rails, users can safely step onto and off the base without tripping hazards, while the overhead bar and spring mechanism remain to provide the necessary exercise functionality.
3Device complexity
If the exercise machine is designed with fixed horizontal position, then the structure is simple, but the exercise intensity cannot be adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustability to the overhead bar assembly, allowing it to be tilted to various angles relative to the base. This enables users to adjust exercise intensity by changing the angle of resistance, transforming the fixed horizontal structure into a dynamically adjustable system while maintaining relative structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the angular parameter of the overhead bar assembly, allowing it to be positioned at different inclinations. This parameter change enables variation in exercise intensity without fundamentally altering the basic structure, achieving adaptability through simple geometric adjustment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple large apparatuses are installed in a Pilates studio, then each machine provides full functionality, but the number of machines that can be installed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the resistance mechanism from the large perimeter frame and mounting it directly to a compact base, the patent creates a space-efficient design. This allows multiple machines to be installed in the same studio space, increasing the number of available apparatuses and improving productivity through higher installation density.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise machine support system for providing increased versatility including inclination or declination of an exercise surface, a reduction in the overall length and width of the exercise machine, and an enhanced user interface which reduces the risk of injury. The exercise machine support system generally includes a cantilevered exercise machine which is adapted to have a variable angle of incline or decline with respect to a horizontal ground surface. The exercise machine will generally include a base and a support which extends between the base and the exercise machine. The upper end of the support is connected to the exercise machine by a first pivot such that the exercise machine pivots about the support. An adjustment device may be utilized to pivot the exercise machine and thus adjust its angle of incline. Various types of adjustment devices are disclosed, including an actuator, ratchet-and-pawl, gears, and cam.