Functional trainer exercise machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968819-B2
Application number	US-201514633769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An exercise machine has at least one hollow column rotationally mounted between upper and base members of a frame. A pulley carriage is mounted inside the column in engagement with an internal track for travel up and down the track, and a cable linked to an exercise resistance extends through the pulley carriage before terminating at a cable pull attachable to a selected user engagement accessory. A pulley cover pivoted to the carriage extends partially out of a column opening and extends over one or more pulleys mounted in the pulley carriage.

First claim

I claim:

1. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
a stationary frame including an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion;
a rotatable column which has a longitudinal axis and is hollow along a part of its length to define an internal channel, the rotatable column being mounted between the upper and lower frame portions for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the column;
an internal guide track formed into and extending along the internal channel inside the rotatable column;
a pulley carriage assembly positioned within the internal guide track for vertical movement along the internal guide track, the pulley carriage assembly comprising a carriage and a pulley rotationally mounted on the carriage;
an exercise resistance;
a cable assembly coupled with the exercise resistance and including a cable within the rotatable column, the cable extending around part of the pulley and having a cable end extending out of the rotatable column; and
a cable pull secured to the cable end extending out of the column, the cable pull being attachable to a selected accessory for engagement by a user when performing an exercise.

2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an opening in the rotatable column that extends along a portion of the length of the internal channel, wherein the cable extends out of the rotatable column by passing through the opening.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the pulley carriage assembly extends out of the rotatable column through the opening in the rotatable column.

4. The exercise apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pulley carriage assembly further comprises a pulley cover which covers a portion of the pulley.

5. The exercise apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the pulley cover extends out of the rotatable column through the opening in the rotatable column.

6. The exercise apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pulley cover includes an opening through which the cable extends.

7. The exercise apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pulley carriage includes a pair of pulley carriage sidewalls and the pulley is rotationally mounted between the pulley carriage sidewalls for rotation about a pivot axis.

8. The exercise apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a second pulley is rotationally mounted between the pulley carriage sidewalls.

9. The exercise apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the pulley carriage sidewalls have aligned openings,
wherein the pulley is mounted on a pulley axle which has opposite ends extending outward through the openings in the pulley carriage sidewalls, and
wherein a roller is mounted on the pulley axle and engages the internal guide track for vertical movement along the internal guide track.

10. The exercise apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the internal guide track comprises a pair of grooves on opposite sides of the opening in the rotatable column, and
wherein two rollers are mounted on the pulley axle, each engaging one of the grooves of the internal guide track.

11. The exercise apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a locking device linked to the pulley cover for releasably locking the pulley carriage assembly at a selected height,
wherein the pulley cover includes spaced pulley cover sidewalls, each engaging over the respective pulley carriage sidewalls,
wherein each pulley cover sidewall includes a pivot portion pivotally mounted on the pulley axle to provide rotational movement of the pulley cover between first and second positions, and
wherein movement of the pulley cover between the first and second positions moves the locking device between a locked position and a released position.

12. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the pulley carriage assembly is located inside the rotatable column.

13. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least portions of the carriage and the pulley are located inside the rotatable column.

14. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an indexing plate mounted inside the rotatable column and extending vertically along the longitudinal axis of the rotatable column, the indexing plate having a plurality of spaced holes; and
a locking device associated with the pulley carriage assembly which is selectably engageable with one of the spaced holes in the indexing plate to secure the pulley carriage assembly at a selected height.

15. The exercise apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a lock release mechanism associated with the locking device, wherein the lock release mechanism includes a user engagement portion outside the column which is operable by the user to disengage the locking device from the spaced holes in the indexing plate.

16. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cable extends from the pulley upward through the rotatable column and through the upper frame portion to the exercise resistance.

17. The exercise apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cable assembly includes a second cable secured at one end to a lower end of the carriage and extending downward through the rotatable column and the through lower frame portion to the exercise resistance.

18. The exercise apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising bumpers mounted in the upper and lower ends of the rotatable column and defining upper and lower end stops for the pulley carriage assembly.

19. An exercise apparatus, comprising:
a stationary frame including an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion;
a column which has a longitudinal axis and is hollow along a part of its length to define an internal channel, the column being mounted between the upper and lower frame portions for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the column;
an internal guide track extending along the channel;
a pulley carriage assembly movably engaged with the internal guide track for vertical movement along the internal guide track, the pulley carriage assembly comprising a carriage and a pulley rotationally mounted on the carriage;
an exercise resistance;
a cable assembly coupled with the exercise resistance and including a cable extending around part of the pulley and having a cable end extending out of the column;
a cable pull secured to the cable end extending out of the column, the cable pull being attachable to a selected accessory for engagement by a user when performing an exercise;
an indexing plate mounted inside the column and extending vertically along the longitudinal axis of the column, the indexing plate having a plurality of spaced holes; and
a locking device associated with the pulley carriage assembly which is selectably engageable with one of the spaced holes in the indexing plate to secure the pulley carriage assembly at a selected height,
wherein the pulley carriage assembly further comprises a cover which is partially outside of the column,
wherein the locking device comprises a spring-loaded pin which is linked to the cover and is movable between a locked position engaging one selected hole in the indexing plate and a released position, and
wherein the cover is pivotally mounted for movement between first and second positions corresponding to the respective locked and released positions of the spring-loaded pin.

20. The exercise apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the cover has a gripping portion for engagement by a user to move the cover between the first and second positions in order to move the spring-loaded pin between the locked and released positions.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the spring-loaded pin is biased into the locked

Assignees

• Hoist Fitness Systems Inc

Inventors

• Hockridge Bruce

Classifications

• A63B1/00

  Horizontal bars · CPC title

• A63B21/156

  the position of the pulleys being variable, e.g. for different exercises · CPC title

• A63B21/0628 Primary

  for vertical array of weights · CPC title

• A63B21/0087

  of the piston-cylinder type (using hydraulic piston-cylinder type force resistors A63B21/0083) · CPC title

• A63B23/03541

  Moving independently from each other (A63B22/00 takes precedence) · CPC title