Variable resistance apparatus and related equipment and methods

Abstract

Variable resistance devices and methods are disclosed. Resistance may be determined based on velocity of movement of a component in a variable resistance device. A variable resistance device may include a stator having a tapered internal bore and a plug disposed for longitudinal movement relative to the tapered internal bore to control resistance force. The tapered internal bore in the stator may be designed to yield a linear relationship between change in force and change in longitudinal movement of the plug relative to the tapered internal bore. The plug may be connected to a longitudinal rod movably disposed within a sleeve. The velocity at which the sleeve moves may be used to control movement of the plug relative to the tapered bore, and to thereby control resistance force. Variable resistance devices may be included as part of exercise equipment to control resistance force presented to a person using the equipment.

1 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a frame,   a variable resistance device having a longitudinal rod and a tube, the longitudinal rod being disposed for movement within the tube, the tube being secured to the frame, and   a support connected to the longitudinal rod, whereby movement of the support will cause movement of the longitudinal rod relative to the tube and adjust a resistance force imparted to the support by the variable distance device based on the speed of movement of the longitudinal rod.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance force is adjusted to maintain a predetermined speed of movement of the longitudinal rod. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a monitor to provide real-time feedback of a user's effort as a function of the resistance force and position of the support. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the variable resistance device includes:
 a stator having a lower housing including a tapered internal bore;   a plug connected to the longitudinal rod and disposed for longitudinal movement within the stator relative to the tapered internal bore;   wherein the tapered internal bore of the lower housing on the stator yields a linear relationship between change in force and change in longitudinal movement of the plug within the lower housing of the stator.   
     
     
         5 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the longitudinal rod has a threaded end threadably engaged with an internal threaded bore of the plug, wherein rotation of the rod causes longitudinal movement of the plug within the tapered internal bore of the lower housing of the stator. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , further including:
 a sleeve having a first end secured to a first end of an enclosed housing, and extending into the enclosed housing,   the longitudinal rod having a first end and a second end, the longitudinal rod being disposed for rotatable and telescoping movement within the sleeve,   a stator disposed within the enclosed housing, an upper end of the stator being connected to a second end of the sleeve, the stator having a lower housing including a tapered internal bore,   a threaded rotor disposed within the stator, the threaded rotor being connected to the second end of the longitudinal rod,   a plug disposed within the stator, the plug having an upper opening, an internal bore, and an enclosed lower end, the internal bore including internal threads adapted for threadable engagement with the threaded rotor, and   a motor mounted adjacent the first end of the sleeve and connected to the first end of the longitudinal rod, the motor being adapted to impart rotational movement to the longitudinal rod, wherein rotation of the longitudinal rod in a first direction will cause the threaded rotor to rotate in a first direction and cause the plug to move downwardly within the tapered internal bore in the lower housing of the stator, and rotation of the longitudinal rod in a second direction will cause the threaded rotor to rotate in a second direction and cause the plug to move upwardly relative to the tapered internal bore in the lower housing of the stator.   
     
     
         7 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tube is a non-ferromagnetic tube and the longitudinal rod is a non-conductive rod, and further including a solenoid disposed for movement within the tube and attached to the longitudinal rod, the solenoid including a first electrical wire adapted for connection to a source of electricity and a second electrical wire connected to a controller adapted to adjust current in the solenoid based on speed of movement of the longitudinal rod to adjust the resistance force to maintain a target speed of movement of the longitudinal rod. 
     
     
         8 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a frame,   a variable resistance device having a stator, a longitudinal rod, a tube, and a plug, the stator having a lower housing including a tapered internal bore, the longitudinal rod being disposed for movement within the tube and connected to the plug, the tube being secured to the frame, the plug being movably disposed within the lower housing of the stator relative to the tapered internal bore, and   a support connected to the longitudinal rod, whereby movement of the support will cause movement of the longitudinal rod relative to the tube and adjust a resistance force imparted to the support by the variable distance device based on the speed of movement of the longitudinal rod,   wherein the tapered internal bore of the lower housing on the stator yields a linear relationship between change in the resistance force and change in longitudinal movement of the plug within the lower housing of the stator.   
     
     
         9 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the resistance force is adjusted to maintain a predetermined speed of movement of the longitudinal rod. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 8 , further including a monitor to provide real-time feedback of a user's effort as a function of the resistance force and position of the support. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal rod has a threaded end threadably engaged with an internal threaded bore of the plug, wherein rotation of the rod causes longitudinal movement of the plug within the tapered internal bore of the lower housing of the stator. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 8 , further including:
 a sleeve having a first end secured to a first end of an enclosed housing, and extending into the enclosed housing,   the longitudinal rod having a first end and a second end, the longitudinal rod being disposed for rotatable and telescoping movement within the sleeve.   
     
     
         13 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 12 , further including:
 a threaded rotor disposed within the stator, the threaded rotor being connected to the second end of the longitudinal rod, and   a plug disposed within the stator, the plug having an upper opening, an internal bore, and an enclosed lower end, the internal bore including internal threads adapted for threadable engagement with the threaded rotor,   the stator being disposed within the enclosed housing, and an upper end of the stator being connected to a second end of the sleeve.   
     
     
         14 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 13 , further including:
 a motor mounted adjacent the first end of the sleeve and connected to the first end of the longitudinal rod, the motor being adapted to impart rotational movement to the longitudinal rod, wherein rotation of the longitudinal rod in a first direction will cause the threaded rotor to rotate in a first direction and cause the plug to move downwardly within the tapered internal bore in the lower housing of the stator, and rotation of the longitudinal rod in a second direction will cause the threaded rotor to rotate in a second direction and cause the plug to move upwardly relative to the tapered internal bore in the lower housing of the stator.   
     
     
         15 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the tube is a non-ferromagnetic tube and the longitudinal rod is a non-conductive rod, and further including a solenoid disposed for movement within the tube and attached to the longitudinal rod, the solenoid including a first electrical wire adapted for connection to a source of electricity and a second electrical wire connected to a controller adapted to adjust current in the solenoid based on speed of movement of the longitudinal rod to adjust the resistance force to maintain a target speed of movement of the longitudinal rod. 
     
     
         16 . An exercise system comprising:
 a computer processor coupled to memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the computer processor causes the computer processor to:   (a) detect an initial force;   (b) record an initial time, an initial position and the initial force;   (c) set a counter to zero;   (d) record current time, current position, and current force;   (e) display force and position on a screen;   (f) calculate velocity;   (g) calculate an error based on a difference between the calculated velocity and a target velocity;   (h) use the error to adjust resistance;   (i) determine whether an end condition has been reached; and   (j) if an end condition has not been reached, then store a current time, current position, and current force, increase the counter by one, and repeat steps (d) through (i) until an end condition has been reached, and then display exercise data.   
     
     
         17 . The exercise system of  claim 16 , wherein the step of using the error to adjust resistance includes rotating a longitudinal rod to move a plug up and down with a lower housing of a stator. 
     
     
         18 . The exercise system of  claim 17 , wherein data is processed and displayed by:
 (k) reading the stored data for position, time and force;   (l) setting an initial force to a maximum force read from the stored data;   (m) setting a maximum power to zero;   (n) setting a total work to zero;   (o) setting a step counter to zero;   (p) calculating current velocity;   (q) calculating an average velocity;   (r) calculating current work completed;   (s) calculating total work;   (t) calculating instantaneous power;   (u) determining whether an average force is greater than the maximum force;   (v) if the average force is greater than the maximum force, then setting the average force equal to the maximum force, but if the average force is not greater than the maximum force, then:   (w) determining whether current power is greater than the maximum power;   (x) if the current power is greater than the maximum power, then setting the maximum power equal to the current power, but if the current power is not greater than the maximum power, then:   (y) determine if all data has been processed;   (z) if all data has not been processed, then increasing the step counter by one and repeating steps (p) through (y) until the answer at step (y) is yes, then:   (aa) calculating average power; and   (bb) displaying total work, average power, maximum power, and maximum force.   
     
     
         19 . The exercise system of  claim 16 , further including:
 exerting a force along a fixed path to move an object;   detecting the speed at which the object is being moved;   determining a difference between the detected speed and a target speed;   controlling a resistance force applied to the object to maintain the movement speed of the object at the target speed;   displaying the force exerted as a function of position of the object on the fixed path; and   recording the force exerted and corresponding position of the object for the duration of movement of the object.   
     
     
         20 . The exercise system of  claim 19 , further including:
 displaying one or more of a prior resistance force applied to the object in a prior performance of the exercise method, an average of resistance forces applied to the object over the course of at least two performances of the exercise method, a best force applied to the object over the course of at least two performances of the exercise method, and a most recent force applied to the object over the course of at least two performances of the exercise method.