Frustoconical Spool Cord Management for Electric Fitness Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric resistance exercise devices often lack sufficient resistance levels and suffer from tangled cord mechanisms, which can hinder effective workouts and increase the risk of injury.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a frustoconical spool with a motor and pulley system that prevents cord tangling and provides adjustable resistance, allowing for smooth and efficient cord winding and unwinding, ensuring high levels of resistance and organized cord management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a motor and spool mechanism is used to provide resistance, then resistance levels can be adjusted and controlled, but the cord may become tangled during use
Solution Approach 1:
The spool is designed with a conical surface instead of a cylindrical surface. This conical geometry naturally guides the cord to wind in a controlled manner from the base toward the apex, preventing tangling and ensuring smooth cord management during resistance exercises.
Solution Approach 2:
The cord management is solved by introducing a pulley system that directs the cord in a specific three-dimensional path. The pulley guides the cord from the user's hand, over the conical spool, and back, creating a controlled loop that prevents tangling while maintaining high resistance levels.
2Power
If resistance is increased for effective training, then workout effectiveness improves, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The resistance mechanism is extracted from complex mechanical weight stacks and replaced with a motor-driven spool system. This extraction simplifies the overall device structure while enabling programmable resistance levels through electronic control rather than mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical resistance systems (weight stacks, springs) with an electric motor and spool mechanism. This substitution allows for programmable resistance levels through software control, reducing mechanical complexity while providing adjustable resistance for effective training.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact design is used for home gyms, then space efficiency improves, but resistance capacity may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The resistance assembly is nested within a compact housing structure. The conical spool is positioned efficiently within the device body, with the cord routing through a pulley system that utilizes vertical and horizontal spaces. This nesting approach maintains a compact overall device size while accommodating the resistance mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor-driven spool system provides dynamically adjustable resistance that can be programmed to match various exercise requirements. This dynamic resistance adjustment allows the compact device to deliver high resistance capacity when needed without requiring permanently oversized mechanical components.
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
This solution provides users with a compact, lightweight device offering high resistance levels and preventing cord entanglement, resulting in a safer and more productive workout experience.
Implementation Method 1
The motor can be selectively engageable with the spool and can be configured to generate a resistance force when engaged with the spool
Implementation Method 2
The design incorporates a frustoconical spool with a motor and pulley system that prevents cord tangling and provides adjustable resistance
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a fitness device for use by a user. The fitness device can include a resistance assembly including a driving assembly, a cord, and a grommet. The driving assembly can include a spool and a motor. The motor can be selectively engageable with the spool and can be configured to generate a resistance force when engaged with the spool. The cord can be configured to be wound and unwound on the spool in multiple layers in response to a movement by the user. The grommet can be disposed adjacent to the driving assembly. The grommet can be configured to receive the cord therethrough and direct the cord out of the resistance assembly. A method of using a fitness device by a user is also provided.