Rotatable Exercise Handle Resolving Joint Strain and Strap Breakage

Solution Overview

Problem

Cable-based exercise equipment handles do not account for user comfort, leading to unnatural strain on wrist and elbow joints, and the materials used often break due to friction and torsion, resulting in potential injuries.

Innovation Solution

An ergonomic exercise handle with a rotatable grip and bracket assembly that allows two degrees of freedom, enabling wrist flexion and extension, forearm pronation and supination, and allowing interchangeable grips of varying sizes and shapes, made from materials like rubber, silicon, steel, or aluminum.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a rigid plastic handle connected via nylon strap is used, then the structure is simple and inexpensive, but the user experiences unnatural strain on wrist and elbow joints and the nylon strap breaks due to friction and torsion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser comfortVSAvoidnylon strap durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The handle assembly incorporates rotational freedom through a swiveling connection between the grip and bracket, and another rotation between the bracket and cable connection. This dynamic structure allows the handle to adapt its orientation during exercise, eliminating the rigid constraints that caused nylon strap breakage while improving user comfort by accommodating natural joint movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The handle is divided into separate functional components: a grip portion, a bracket portion, and a connection assembly. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the grip provides ergonomic contact, the bracket enables rotation, and the connection assembly attaches to the cable. This modular structure eliminates the need for a single rigid nylon strap connection, resolving the durability issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the handle allows only linear motion along the cable, then the structure is simple, but the user is forced to pull with unnaturally rigid wrist and elbow joints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverange of motionVSAvoidhandle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handle assembly incorporates rotational freedom through a swiveling connection between the grip and bracket, and another rotation between the bracket and cable connection. This dynamic structure allows the handle to adapt its orientation during exercise, eliminating the rigid constraints that caused nylon strap breakage while improving user comfort by accommodating natural joint movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The handle transitions from linear one-dimensional motion to two-dimensional rotational movement. By adding rotational degrees of freedom around the cable axis and perpendicular to it, the handle enables users to perform exercises with natural wrist and elbow joint movements, effectively adding another dimension of motion capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If the nylon strap connects the handle to the equipment, then the assembly is simple, but the strap undergoes torsion and friction leading to eventual breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection assemblyVSAvoidconnection durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The handle assembly incorporates rotational freedom through a swiveling connection between the grip and bracket, and another rotation between the bracket and cable connection. This dynamic structure allows the handle to adapt its orientation during exercise, eliminating the rigid constraints that caused nylon strap breakage while improving user comfort by accommodating natural joint movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the flexible nylon strap connection with a rigid structural connection featuring bearing-like rotational joints. This substitution eliminates the torsional stress and friction that plagued the nylon strap, as the new mechanical connection is designed to handle rotational loads without degradation, significantly improving connection durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11541270B2Ergonomic exercise equipment handle

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 LOMANGINO JOSEPH

AI summary

The goal of this invention is to provide an ergonomic handle for cable-based exercise equipment which is comfortable in the user's hands and increases user strength and range of motion. This exercise handle allows wrist flexion and extension as well as forearm and hand pronation and supination. The handle is composed of a grip which is rotatably coupled to a bracket, which is in turn connected to a rotatable connection assembly which freely rotates along an axis parallel to the cable.