Composite Motion Exercise Machine Linkage Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise machines typically offer only a single movement mode, such as elliptical, stepper, or bike, and require users to follow specific trajectories, which can lead to muscle pain and potential injury if the trajectory is not ergonomically designed.
Innovation Solution
A composite motion exercise machine with a control panel that allows users to adjust the configuration of linkage units to change the pedal trajectory and resistance without manual adjustment, enabling multiple movement modes like elliptical, stepper, and bike, and incorporating ergonomic closed paths to prevent injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an exercise machine provides only one movement mode with a fixed trajectory, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability or versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The exercise machine employs adjustable linkage units that can dynamically change their configuration parameters (link lengths, pivot positions) to provide multiple movement modes including elliptical, stepper, and bike modes. This dynamic adjustability allows a single machine to offer diverse workout trajectories without requiring multiple separate devices, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the linkage units (such as link lengths, pivot point positions, and connection angles) to transform the pedal trajectory from one movement mode to another. By adjusting these parameters, the machine can switch between different exercise modes, achieving high adaptability while maintaining a unified mechanical structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the movement trajectory is fixed and not ergonomically optimized, then the device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to muscle pain and potential injury
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage units incorporate adjustable components that allow the pedal trajectory to be dynamically modified into ergonomically optimized closed paths. Users can adjust the linkage configuration to achieve trajectories that match natural human movement patterns, reducing muscle strain and injury risk while maintaining structural feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameters of the linkage units (link lengths, pivot positions), the system transforms the pedal trajectory into ergonomically sound closed paths. This parameter adjustment ensures that the movement trajectory aligns with human anatomy and muscle mechanics, minimizing harmful effects during exercise.
3Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of linkage units is required, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically adjusts the linkage unit configurations based on user input or pre-programmed settings, eliminating the need for manual mechanical adjustment. The system self-regulates the linkage parameters to achieve the desired movement mode, making operation simple and intuitive while managing the underlying complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment mechanisms with an automated control system that uses sensors, motors, and control algorithms to adjust the linkage units. This substitution of mechanical manual operation with automated control systems improves ease of operation while managing the complexity through intelligent control rather than complex mechanical linkages.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A composite motion exercise machine includes a control panel (150) which provides a plurality of movement modes and allows a user to issue a command to change the configuration of linkage units (5) of the exercise machine to have the machine perform a movement mode without manual adjustment, so that the pedal (7) of each linkage unit (5) can be moved along a closed trajectory. The control panel (150) also allows the user to finely adjust the trajectory and the resistance associated therewith. The trajectory performed by each pedal (7) of the exercise machine is ergonomic so that the user can be protected from exercise injury.