Four-Bar Glute Press Machine With Rotating Hip Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glute press weight lifting machines provide inadequate support to the user's back and hips during the exercise, and alternative methods without specialized equipment offer poor support, leading to discomfort and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A glute press exercise machine with a four-bar linkage system that includes a rotatable back support with a lower portion to support the hips, a seat that rotates during the exercise, and an abdomen restraint to maintain user stability, along with a cable or weight stack system for resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rotating arm attached to the frame is used to lift the weight stack, then the glute press exercise can be performed, but the user's back and hips receive inadequate support during the exercise
Solution Approach 1:
The back support is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion, with the lower portion extending below the user's hips to provide additional support. This segmentation allows the device to address multiple support needs (upper back and hips) simultaneously while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the user's movement drive a rotating arm to lift the weight, the invention inverts the approach by using a four-bar linkage where the weight stack movement directly drives the back support rotation. This eliminates the need for a complex rotating arm mechanism while providing adequate support.
2Device complexity
If a standard lifting bench is used without specialized equipment, then the exercise can be performed with minimal device complexity, but the user receives very poor support to the back
Solution Approach 1:
The four-bar linkage mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the lifting resistance through the weight stack, supports the user's upper back, and supports the user's hips through the extended lower portion of the back support. This multi-functionality achieves adequate support without requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The back support is designed to rotate dynamically during the exercise movement, allowing it to adapt to the user's position changes while maintaining support. The four-bar linkage enables this dynamic movement while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple.
3Ease of operation
If the seat remains stationary during the exercise, then the device structure is simpler, but the user experiences discomfort and reduced exercise effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The seat rotation is merged with the back support rotation through the four-bar linkage mechanism. As the back support rotates during the exercise, the seat rotates simultaneously, providing continuous support and comfort without requiring a separate independent rotation mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If the lower portion of the back support extends below the user's hips, then adequate hip support is provided, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The back support is segmented into upper and lower portions, where the lower portion extends below the user's hips to provide hip support. This segmentation achieves adequate support for both the upper back and hips using a relatively simple extended structure rather than multiple separate components.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A glute press exercise machine including: a four-bar linkage connected to a stationary frame; a rotatable back support connected to the four-bar linkage; a seat connected to the four-bar linkage; and a foot support connected to the stationary frame. A lower portion of the back support extends below the user's hips to support the users hips during a glute press exercise. This lower portion supports at least 10% of the user's weight. In operation, the seat rotates downwardly away from the user's hips during a glute press exercise and then rotates upwardly again to contact the user's bottom between every repetition of the glute press exercise. The four-bar linkage is pivotally connected to the stationary frame at a location near ground level. The foot support is positioned below 25cm from the ground and extends forwardly beyond the front of the stationary frame.