Exercise machine

Abstract

The invention relates to an exercise device comprising a biasing element intended to be moved by the force of a user, an electric actuator ( 1 ) comprising a mobile part, the biasing element being connected to the mobile part and the biasing element being able to move the mobile part, a computer ( 12 ) able to generate a control signal for the electric actuator, an acceleration sensor coupled to the mobile part in order to measure the acceleration of the mobile part and to transmit the measured acceleration to the computer ( 12 ), the electric actuator being able to exert a force on the biasing element by way of the mobile element in response to the control signal, characterized in that the computer ( 12 ) is able to generate the control signal depending on the measured acceleration such that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ) includes a contribution of artificial inertia substantially proportional to the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor.

1 . An exercise device comprising:
 a load element ( 6 ,  69 ) intended to be displaced by the force of a user,   an electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) comprising a moving part ( 2 ), the load element ( 6 ,  69 ) being linked to the moving part and the load element being able to displace the moving part,   a computer ( 12 ,  80 ) suitable for computing a force to be exerted by the electric actuator and for generating a control signal for the electric actuator as a function of the computed force to be exerted, in such a way that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ) in response to the control signal corresponds to the computed force to be exerted and   an acceleration sensor coupled to the moving part ( 2 ) for measuring the acceleration of the moving part and for transmitting the measured acceleration to the computer ( 12 ,  80 ),   the electric actuator being able to exert a force on the load element ( 6 ,  69 ) via the moving part in response to the control signal,   in which the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted as a function of the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor,   characterized in that the device also comprises:
 a memory of the computer in which is stored a coefficient of proportionality between the measured acceleration and an additive contribution of artificial inertia, and 
 a human-machine interface ( 86 ) enabling a user to set the coefficient of proportionality, 
   the computer being able to compute the additive contribution of artificial inertia as a function of the measured acceleration and of the coefficient of proportionality, the force to be exerted computed by the computer as a function of the measured acceleration including the additive contribution of artificial inertia proportional to the measured acceleration obtained by the computer as the result of a multiplication of the measured acceleration by the coefficient of proportionality stored in the memory, in such a way that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) in response to the control signal includes the additive_contribution of artificial inertia proportional to the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor and to the coefficient of proportionality stored in the memory.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to vary the coefficient of proportionality as a function of at least one parameter chosen from the position, the speed and the acceleration of the moving part. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted in such a way that the force to be exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) includes an additive contribution of additional load exhibiting a predetermined direction. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted in such a way that the additive contribution of artificial inertia is oriented in the same direction as the contribution of predetermined direction when the measured acceleration is in the direction opposite the contribution of predetermined direction. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 4 , characterized in that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted in such a way as to cancel the additive contribution of artificial inertia when the measured acceleration is in the same direction as the contribution of predetermined direction of the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ). 
     
     
         6 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the link between the load element ( 6 ,  69 ) and the moving part includes a speed reducer for gearing down the force of the motor. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a speed sensor suitable for measuring the speed of the moving part ( 2 ) and that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to generate the control signal in such an/ay that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) includes an additive contribution of viscous friction substantially proportional to the speed measured by the speed sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) is a linear motor or a rotary motor. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the acceleration sensor comprises:
 a position coder ( 10 ,  84 ) coupled to the moving part ( 2 ) for measuring the position of the moving part, the position coder ( 10 ,  84 ) generating a position signal, and   shunt elements ( 13 ,  14 ) suitable for shunting the position signal to determine the acceleration of the moving part ( 2 ).   
     
     
         10 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the exercise device is selected from the group comprising rowing machines, exercise bicycles, lifting bars and guided load appliances. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted in such a way that the force to be exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) includes an additive contribution of additional load exhibiting a predetermined direction, the human-machine interface ( 86 ) enabling a user to out the additive contribution of additional load independently of the coefficient of proportionality. 
     
     
         13 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that the human-machine interface ( 86 ) enables a user to set the additive contribution of additional load to a zero value. 
     
     
         14 . The exercise device as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the load element ( 69 ,  63 ) can be displaced in a vertical direction and that the computer ( 12 ,  80 ) is able to compute the force to be exerted in the absence of force exerted by the user, in such a way that the force to be exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) includes a default additive contribution of load compensating a specific weight of the load element ( 69 ,  63 ) without causing any spontaneous displacement of the load clement ( 69 ,  63 ) in the absence of a force exerted by the user, 
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling an exercise device comprising:
 measuring the acceleration of a moving part ( 2 ) of an electric actuator in response to the force of a user exerted on a load element ( 6 ,  69 ) linked to the moving part,   computing a force to be exerted by the electric actuator as a function of the measured acceleration and   generating a control signal for controlling the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) with the control signal in such away that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) in response to the control signal corresponds to the computed force to be exerted, characterized by the steps of:   providing a human-machine interface ( 86 ) enabling a use o at a coefficient of proportionality between the measured acceleration and an additive contribution of artificial inertia,   storing the coefficient of proportionality in a memory,   multiplying the measured acceleration by the coefficient of proportionality to obtain the additive contribution of artificial inertia, and   obtaining the force to be exerted computed as a function of the measured acceleration including the additive contribution of artificial inertia proportional to the measured acceleration, in such a way that the force exerted by the electric actuator ( 1 ,  76 ) on the load element ( 6 ,  69 ) via the moving part ( 2 ) in response to the control signal includes an additive contribution of artificial inertia proportional to the measured acceleration.