Exercise Damper Adjusting Device Using Lug-Driven Pivoting Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional damper adjusting devices for exercise apparatuses are structurally bulky, aesthetically unappealing, and costly due to complex mechanisms and numerous components, which complicate resistance adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A simplified damper adjusting device with a resistance wheel, pivoting member, driving mechanism, and biasing member, where a turntable with a lug drives the pivoting member to adjust resistance by changing the distance between the resistance portion and the resistance wheel, utilizing a biasing member for resilience and a driving source for rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional cam mechanism is used to drive the support member to pivot, then the resistance adjustment function is achieved, but the device becomes structurally bulky and massive due to the need to reserve sufficient space for cam rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential functional element (lug) from the complex cam mechanism, eliminating the need for a large rotating cam while retaining the resistance adjustment capability. The lug is positioned on the turntable at a specific distance from the center, providing the necessary leverage without requiring excessive space.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is divided into functionally independent portions: a pivotally mounted portion connected to the pivoting member and a driven portion engaged by the lug. This segmentation allows the driven portion to be actuated by the small lug while the pivotally mounted portion maintains the structural connection, reducing the space required for the driving mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If a slot mechanism is used to drive the pivoting member, then the resistance magnitude can be adjusted, but the process becomes complicated and requires more components, incurring high production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the slot mechanism entirely and replaces it with a direct drive approach where the lug on the turntable directly actuates the driven portion of the support member. This extraction of the unnecessary slot component simplifies the mechanism and reduces the total number of parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the driving function into the turntable itself by positioning the lug directly on the turntable, eliminating the need for separate driving mechanisms. The biasing member is also integrated into the assembly, combining multiple functions into a compact structure.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional cam and slot mechanism is used, then resistance adjustment is possible, but the device structure is complicated and aesthetically unappealing
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the complex cam and slot mechanisms and replacing them with a simplified turntable-lug-biasing member assembly, the invention achieves a much cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing appearance while maintaining full resistance adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a turntable that can rotate to dynamically adjust the position of the lug, which in turn dynamically adjusts the resistance. This dynamic mechanism is much simpler and more elegant than the static cam and slot arrangement, improving both aesthetics and functionality.
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 reduces the device's size and component count, lowering production costs while simplifying the resistance adjustment process, allowing for effective resistance shifting without increasing internal space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The biasing member generates resilience for keeping the driven portion of the pivoting member contacting against the lug of the driving mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A damper adjusting device is mounted on a base of an exercise apparatus, including a resistance wheel, a pivoting member, a driving mechanism, and a biasing member. The resistance wheel is rotatably mounted on the base. The pivoting member is pivotably mounted on the base, having a driven portion and a resistance portion. The driving mechanism is mounted on the base, having a rotatable turntable and a lug formed on the turntable and spaced from a center of the turntable. The biasing member generates resilience for keeping the driven portion contacting against the lug. Accordingly, when the lug is driven to move to further drive the pivoting member to pivot for an angle, the distance between the resistance portion and the resistance wheel is also changed to shift the resistance generated while the resistance wheel turns.