Resistance Motor for Exercise Apparatus

Abstract

A resistance motor for an exercise apparatus includes a housing and an internal gear unit. The housing includes a casing body and a casing cover coupled with the casing body to define a receiving cavity therewithin. The internal gear unit includes an output wheel operatively supported by the casing body, a worm gear, a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear. The worm gear, the first gear, the second gear, and the third gear are supported in the receiving cavity. The worm gear, the first gear, the second gear, the third gear, and the output wheel are operatively engaged in a sequent order. The output wheel, which has the largest diameter, is located above the second gear and the third gear, such that the position of the output wheel is higher than the positions of the second gear and the third gear.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A resistance motor for an exercise apparatus, comprising:
 a housing having a receiving cavity;   a potentiometer, having a shaft, supported at said housing; and   an internal gear unit which comprises an output wheel operatively coupled with said shaft, a worm gear, a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear, wherein said worm gear, said first gear, said second gear, and said third gear are supported in said receiving cavity, wherein said output wheel, which has the largest diameter, is located above said second gear and said third gear, such that a position of said output wheel is higher than positions of said second gear and said third gear.   
     
     
         2 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said worm gear, said first gear, said second gear, and said third gear and said output wheel are operatively engaged with each other in a sequent order. 
     
     
         3 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said housing comprises a casing body and a casing cover coupled with each other to define said receiving cavity therewithin, wherein said shaft of said potentiometer and said output wheel are supported at said casing body. 
     
     
         4 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said housing comprises a casing body and a casing cover coupled with each other to define said receiving cavity therewithin, wherein said shaft of said potentiometer and said output wheel are supported at said casing body. 
     
     
         5 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein bottom portions of said casing body and said casing cover are coupled with each other to form a base portion of said housing for evenly distributing forces generated by said shaft and said internal gear unit. 
     
     
         6 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein bottom portions of said casing body and said casing cover are coupled with each other to form a base portion of said housing for evenly distributing forces generated by said shaft and said internal gear unit. 
     
     
         7 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a shaft sleeve extended from said housing into said receiving cavity thereof to support said output wheel, wherein said shaft of said potentiometer is extended within said shaft sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising a shaft sleeve extended from said housing into said receiving cavity thereof to support said output wheel, wherein said shaft of said potentiometer is extended within said shaft sleeve. 
     
     
         9 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising a shaft sleeve extended from said housing into said receiving cavity thereof to support said output wheel, wherein said shaft of said potentiometer is extended within said shaft sleeve. 
     
     
         10 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said shaft sleeve is integrally extended from said casing body and is non-rotatable, such that when said shaft is rotatably passed through said shaft sleeve, said shaft sleeve reinforces said casing body at an area around said shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said shaft sleeve is integrally extended from said casing body and is non-rotatable, such that when said shaft is rotatably passed through said shaft sleeve, said shaft sleeve reinforces said casing body at an area around said shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising a supporting member coaxially extended from said output wheel, wherein said supporting member is rotatably coupled with said shaft sleeve so as to serve as a force bearing point to support said output wheel when said shaft is rotated. 
     
     
         13 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising a supporting member coaxially extended from said output wheel, wherein said supporting member is rotatably coupled with said shaft sleeve so as to serve as a force bearing point to support said output wheel when said shaft is rotated. 
     
     
         14 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising a supporting member coaxially extended from said output wheel, wherein said supporting member is rotatably coupled with said shaft sleeve so as to serve as a force bearing point to support said output wheel when said shaft is rotated. 
     
     
         15 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said supporting member has a tubular shape integrally extended from said output wheel to couple with said shaft. 
     
     
         16 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said supporting member has a tubular shape integrally extended from said output wheel to couple with said shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said supporting member has a tubular shape integrally extended from said output wheel to couple with said shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said supporting member is rotatably received in said shaft sleeve to ensure said output wheel to be coupled with said shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said supporting member is rotatably received in said shaft sleeve to ensure said output wheel to be coupled with said shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The resistance motor, as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said supporting member is rotatably received in said shaft sleeve to ensure said output wheel to be coupled with said shaft.