Granted Patent B2

US 8,002,677 · App. 12/907,855 · Granted Aug 23, 2011

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. An exercise device comprising:

a frame;

a resistance system supported by the frame;

a flexible member operably associated with the resistance system;

an actuation device operably associated with the resistance system in such a manner that the resistance system exerts resistance forces on the actuation device as the actuation device is displaced;

a first cam supported by an axle including a length;

a second cam supported by the axle;

a selector mechanism operably associated with the first and second cams, the selector mechanism configured to selectively move the first and second cams along at least a portion of the length of the axle to operatively associate one of the first and second cams with the flexible member;

the flexible member and the first cam are configured in such a manner that the flexible member wraps around the first cam as the actuation device is displaced when the flexible member is operatively associated with the first cam;

a pulley supported by the axle and operatively associated with the actuation device;

a first pulley member that extends from the pulley, the first pulley member connected to the flexible member to operably join the flexible member to the pulley; and

the first and second cams are configured in such a manner that changing which of the first and second cams is operatively associated with the flexible member changes the resistance forces from the resistance system exerted on the actuation device as the actuation device is displaced.

2. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein the pulley is operably associated with the selector mechanism, and the actuation device comprises at least one cable operably associated with the pulley.

3. The exercise device of claim 2 , wherein the actuation device further comprises a handle connected to the at least one cable.

4. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein when the first cam is operably associated with the actuation device, the resistance forces exerted by the resistance system on the actuation device increase as the actuation device moves from a first position to a second position.

5. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein when the first cam is operably associated with the actuation device, the resistance forces exerted by the resistance system on the actuation device decrease as the actuation device moves from a first position to a second position.

6. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein when the first cam is operably associated with the actuation device, the resistance forces exerted by the resistance system on the actuation device remain constant as the actuation device moves from a first position to a second position.

7. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein:

the axle is connected with the frame and rotatably supports the first cam and the second cam; and

the selector mechanism is connected with the first cam to selectively move the first and second cams along the axle.

8. The exercise device of claim 7 , wherein the selector mechanism comprises:

a first member connected with the axle;

a handle connected with the first cam; and

the handle is adapted to selectively connect with the first member to selectively secure the positions of the first and second cams on the axle.

9. The exercise device of claim 8 , wherein the selector mechanism further comprises:

a second member connected to the first member;

the second member includes a plurality of holes;

the handle is configured to move along the second member; and

at least a portion of the handle is positioned within at least one of the plurality of holes to secure the positions of the first and second cams on the axle.

10. The exercise device of claim 9 , wherein the selector mechanism further comprises a bias member operatively associated with the handle and configured to maintain the at least a portion of the handle within the at least one of the plurality of holes.

11. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein the second cam and the flexible member are configured so that the flexible member wraps around the second cam as the actuation device is displaced when the flexible member is operatively associated with the second cam.

12. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible member comprises a cable.

13. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein the actuation device, the pulley, and the first and second cams are configured so that displacement of the actuation device causes the pulley to rotate about a longitudinal axis defined by the axle, and rotation of the pulley about the longitudinal axis defined by the axle causes the first and second cams to rotate about the longitudinal axis defined by the axle.

14. The exercise device of claim 1 , further comprising a second pulley member that extends from the pulley, and the second pulley member is received through holes formed in the first and second cams.

15. The exercise device of claim 1 , wherein the resistance system comprises a plurality of resilient resistance elements that act as torsional springs.

16. The exercise device of claim 15 , further comprising a second selector mechanism configured to selectively operably associate a desired number of the plurality of resilient resistance elements with the actuator device.

17. The exercise device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third cam supported by the axle and operably associated with the selector mechanism;

the selector mechanism further configured to selectively move the first, second, and third cams along at least a portion of the length of the axle to operatively associate one of the first, second and third cams with the flexible member; and

the first, second and third cams are configured in such a manner that changing which of the first, second and cams is operatively associated with the flexible member changes the resistance forces from the resistance system exerted on the actuation device as the actuation device is displaced.

Assignments (16)