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US 6,685,607 B1
5
coupled to frame 11; (ii) an actuating assembly 112 that
engages pivoting arm 110; and (iii) at least one and prefer
ably ?rst and second extendible, resilient resistance mem
bers 114a, 114n. Connecting mechanism 18 of FIGS. 1—10
is a cable and pulley system or assembly that couples the at
least one exercise mechanism, e.g., mechanisms 14 and 16
to the resistance assembly 12, such that the second end of
arm 110 cooperates With the exercise mechanism so that
movement of the exercise mechanism moves the arm 110.
Frame 11, cable and pulley system 18, and exercise
mechanisms 14, 16 Will noW be discussed in additional
detail. Frame 11 comprises
a base 44; and (ii) ?rst and
second upstanding members 42a, 42b extending upWardly
from base 44. Base 44 may include one or more Wheels 46
that may aid With positioning exercise device 10. Various
portions of frame 11 may be holloW so that connecting
system 18 may be at least partially disposed therein.
Cable and pulley system 18 comprises at least one and
preferably a plurality of cables and at least one and prefer
ably a plurality of pulley stations. In the embodiment shoWn,
system 18 comprises a primary cable 20a that extends from
pulley station 22a to pulley station 22b and passes through
resistance assembly 12. Pulley stations 22a and 22b are
mounted to frame 11 by supports 28a and 28b. Secondary
cables 20b and 20c couple to respective ends of primary
cable 20a and extend upWardly and through respective
pulley stations 22c and 22d. Tertiary cable 20d couples to leg
exercise mechanism 16 and couples to at least one of the
ends of primary cable 20a, preferably forking so as to couple
to both ends of cable 20a.
Each end of cable 20a, and the terminating ends of cables
20b—20c, includes a stop 30 that prevents the end of the
cable passing through the respective pulley stations 22a—22d
toWard resistance assembly 12 during performance of an
exercise. Cable of the present invention may be comprised
of metallic material, rope, string, or other materials that are
capable of functioning as described herein.
Each pulley station 22a—22d includes a pivoting member
24a—24d, respectively, that supports one or more pulleys 26.
As a user moves ?rst exercise mechanism 14, for instance,
pivotal member 24d moves to position pulley 26 so that
cable 20d slides along pulley 26.
Disposed at a top of frame 11 is ?rst exercise mechanism
14. The ?rst exercise mechanism 14 enables an exercising
user to perform exercises using the user's arms. Handles 58
are attached to respective cables 20b, 20c. The pivoting
properties of pulley stations 22a—22d enable the user to
move handle 58 relative to frame 11, While cable 20a—c
remains in engagement With respective pulley 26.
With continued reference to FIG. 2A, mounted to base 44
is second exercise mechanism 16 is shoWn coupled to
pivoting bench assembly 19. Bench assembly 19 includes an
elongate member 70 pivotally mounted to base 44 by Way of
a bracket 72. This bracket 72 alloWs elongate member 70 to
be positioned in an exercising position Where elongate
member 70 is generally parallel to a surface upon Which
exercise device 10 is disposed and a storage position, shoWn
in the partial vieW of exercise device 10 depicted in FIG. 2B,
Where elongate member 70 is generally perpendicular to a
surface upon Which exercise device 10 is disposed. Bracket
72 may be secured in either the exercising position or the
storage position through use of a locking member 78 that
passes through bracket 72 to cooperate With extension
member
Cooperating With elongate member 70 is a seat 90 and a
backrest 92 upon Which a user may sit or incline as he or she
10
15
25
35
45
55
65
6
uses ?rst exercise mechanism 14 and/or second exercise
mechanism 16. The seat 90 may be slidably positioned upon
elongate member 70 to accommodate user of various siZes.
The backrest 92 may be inclined and optionally cooperate
With frame 11.
Also attached to elongate member 70 at a location distant
from bracket 72 is exercise mechanism 16 in the form of a
leg developer assembly having a leg lever 82 pivotally
coupled to a leg lever support 84. The leg lever 82 connects
to, in one embodiment, resistance assembly 12 by Way of
pulley station 22a and cable 20d.
Resistance assembly 12 Will noW be described in addi
tional detail. As illustrated in FIG. 1, resistance assembly 12
is at least partially enclosed by a housing 32. Discussion of
housing 32 Will be made With respect to one side of housing
32, hoWever, it is contemplated that the other side of housing
32 is generally a mirror image of the described housing. The
housing 32 includes a hole 34 that enables a user to access
resistance assembly 12. The housing 32 may optionally
include one or more indicia 36 that may be used With
resistance assembly 12 to identify the particular level of
resistance at Which resistance assembly 12 may be set. The
housing 32 may optionally include cable guides 38 that may
receive cables 20b and 20c and securely retain the same
therein.
With continued reference to FIGS. 1—3, resistance assem
bly 12 includes a resistance arm 110 that is pivotally coupled
to frame 11 and is movably coupled to actuating assembly
112. The resistance arm 110 is pivotally attached to a
mounting member 120 (FIG. 4) of frame 11. The second end
122 of resistance arm 110 moves as a user exercises using
exercise device 10. Arm 110 is depicted as having a gener
ally curved pro?le. HoWever, one skilled in the art may
appreciate that arm: 110 may have various other con?gura
tions to perform the functions described herein.
A ?rst end 118 of arm 110 is pivotally coupled to frame
11. A second end 122 of arm 110 has a pulley assembly 124
therein that receives cable 20a about its one or more pulleys
125a—125n, Which are mounted to second end 122 by one or
more brackets 127a and 12711. Cable 20a extends from
pulley station 22b to pulley station 22a after being received
by one or more intermediate pulleys 128a—128n, pulley
assembly 124, and a base pulley assembly 144 that is
mounted to base 44 by bracket 146.
In the illustrated con?guration, cable 20a extends from
pulley station 22b, through one or more of intermediate
pulleys 128a—128n mounted to frame 11. This cable 20a
continues from intermediate pulleys 128a—128n to be
received at pulley assembly 124 and associated the one or
more pulleys 125a—125n. Extending from pulley assembly
124, cable 20a is received by a base pulley assembly 144
that also includes one or more pulleys 129a—129n. This
cable 20a then optionally repeatedly extends from pulley
assembly 144 to pulley assembly 124 and then passes to
other similar intermediate pulleys 128a—128n, before termi
nating at pulley station 22a. As an exerciser moves both of
the handles of ?rst exercise mechanism 14 (FIG. 1), for
example, the available length of cable 20a extending
betWeen pulley assembly 124 and pulley assembly 144
shortens. This shortening of the available portion of cable
20a causes pulley assembly 124 to move toWard pulley
assembly 144, thereby resulting in arm 110 pivoting about
mounting member 120. This movement causes actuating
assembly 112 to move resistance members 114a—114n that
limit the motion of arm 110, thereby providing resistance to
the exercising user.
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