Exercise machines with dual resistance means

Abstract

An exercise cycle having dual resistance structure as disclosed. An exercise cycle utilizing a pedal and crank and sprocket to drive a chain to a front mounted plastic wheel which employs a plurality of blades to form a fan to provide air resistance when the wheel is rotated. Additionally, the hub of the wheel is contacted with a strap to cover a significant portion of the circumference of the wheel whereby the strap may be tightened to increase the frictional resistance between the strap and the hub of the wheel to provide additional resistance when the front wheel is rotated by means of an exerciser pedaling the exercise cycle. A heat dissipation band covers the circumference of the wheel to dissipate heat due to the frictional resistance of the strap.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. An exercise machine comprising: a frame;   a plastic wheel having a U-shaped external rim having a circular base surface and outwardly projecting sidewalls, said wheel rotatably adapted to said frame and having .[.radially positioned,.]. .Iadd.radially-positioned .Iaddend.air .[.resistant.]. .Iadd.resistance .Iaddend.blade members to resist rotational movement of said wheel;   brake means adapted to said frame to resist movement of said wheel;   drive means adapted to said frame for operation by a user to propel said wheel;   and heat dissipation means to dissipate heat generated by said brake means, said heat dissipation means being a smooth, thin, substantially continuous, .[.heat conductive-band.]. .Iadd.heat-conductive band .Iaddend.member affixed to .[.the external.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.circular base surface of .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.U-shaped .Iadd.external .Iaddend.rim.   
     
     
       2. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein said brake means is an adjustable strap .[.which.]. .Iadd.that .Iaddend.makes contact with said .[.wheel.]. .Iadd.heat dissipation means.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       3. The exercise machine of claim 1 wherein said wheel has .[.an external rim and.]. a central hub and said air .[.resistant.]. .Iadd.resistance .Iaddend.blade members are positioned to extend from said hub to said rim. 
     
     
       4. The exercise cycle of claim 1 wherein said wheel is affixed to said frame .[.in.]. .Iadd.to rotate about .Iaddend.a horizontal .[.position.]. .Iadd.axis.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       5. The exercise cycle of claim 1 wherein said exercise machine is a stationary cycle and said .Iadd.plastic .Iaddend.wheel is affixed to said frame in a vertical position. 
     
     
       6. The exercise cycle of claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises a pair of pedals affixed to a rotatable crank which is .[.inter-connected.]. .Iadd.interconnected .Iaddend.to said .Iadd.plastic .Iaddend.wheel. 
     
     
       7. The exercise machine of claim 6 wherein said drive means includes a pair of handle bar members reciprocatingly attached to said frame and interconnected to said .[.drive means.]. .Iadd.plastic wheel.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       8. An exercise cycle having a frame and a wheel assembly driven by drive means interconnected to a .[.pedal powered,.]. .Iadd.pedal-powered .Iaddend.rotatable crank, the improvement comprising: a light-weight plastic wheel having .[.radially positioned, air-resistant.]. .Iadd.radially-positioned air resistance .Iaddend.blade members;   a U-shaped external rim on said front-wheel plastic wheel having a circular base surface and outwardly projecting sidewalls (flanges);   a smooth, thin .[.heat conductive.]..Iadd., heat-conductive, .Iaddend.substantially continuous.Iadd.,.Iaddend.band member affixed to .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.circular base surface of said U-shaped external rim;   an adjustable strap member attached at each end to said frame and in contact with and encircling a .[.significant.]. .Iadd.substantial .Iaddend.portion of said continuous band member, said strap member having adjustable tensioning means to increase the friction between said strap .Iadd.member .Iaddend.and said heat conductive band when .[.the front.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.wheel is rotated.   
     
     
       9. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said heat conductive band is a .[.metallic surfaced.]. .Iadd.metallic-surfaced .Iaddend.member adhesively bonded to .[.the.]. .Iadd.said circular .Iaddend.base .Iadd.surface .Iaddend.of said U-shaped rim of .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.plastic front wheel. 
     
     
       10. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said adjustable strap .Iadd.member .Iaddend.is a flexible, woven fiber strap. 
     
     
       11. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said adjustable strap .Iadd.member .Iaddend.contacts at least about thirty percent of the circumference of said heat conductive band. 
     
     
       12. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein the width of said blade members is greater than the width of said U-shaped .Iadd.external .Iaddend.rim. 
     
     
       13. The exercise cycle of claim .[.9.]. .Iadd.8 .Iaddend.wherein said heat conductive band is a thin metal band. .[. 
     
     
       14.  The exercise cycle of claim 9 wherein said heat conductive band is a plastic band having at least its top surface coated with a very thin metal coating..]. 
     
     
       15. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said .Iadd.lightweight plastic .Iaddend.wheel has a central hub and said blade members extend radially from said central hub to said .Iadd.U-shaped .Iaddend.external rim. 
     
     
       16. The exercise cycle of claim 15 wherein .[.said.]. .Iadd.each .Iaddend.blade .[.members have.]. .Iadd.member has .Iaddend.a longitudinal portion .[.which.]. .Iadd.that .Iaddend.is thicker than the remainder of said blade .Iadd.member.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       17. The exercise cycle of claim 16 wherein said thicker longitudinal portion of said blade .Iadd.member .Iaddend.is located substantially along the longitudinal axis of said blade .Iadd.member.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       18. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said .[.front.]. .Iadd.lightweight plastic .Iaddend.wheel has at least six blade members. 
     
     
       19. The exercise cycle of claim 8 wherein said .[.front.]. .Iadd.lightweight plastic .Iaddend.wheel has a pair of open grill members externally outboard of said blade members adapted to prevent intrusion of finger-sized foreign objects into said .Iadd.lightweight plastic .Iaddend.wheel. 
     
     
       20. An exercise machine comprising: frame means for positioning on a support surface;   drive means adapted to said frame means for operation by a user;   wheel means rotatably secured to said frame means and interconnected to said drive means for rotation thereby, said wheel means being formed of plastic with a hub, a plurality of air .[.resistant.]. .Iadd.resistance .Iaddend.blades secured to and extending away from said hub and a rim positioned about the distal end of said air .[.resistant.]. .Iadd.resistance .Iaddend.blades;   brake means positioned about said rim to resist movement of said wheel means, said brake means being a friction strap operable by the user; and   heat dissipation means positioned about said rim to dissipate heat upon rotation of said wheel means by said drive means against the resistance of .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.friction strap. .Iadd.   
     
     
       21.  An exercise machine comprising: a frame;   a plastic-like wheel having a U-shaped external rim with a circular base surface and outwardly projecting sidewalls, said wheel being rotatably adapted to said frame and having radially-positioned air resistance blade members to resist rotational movement of said wheel;   brake means adapted to said frame and selectively positionable by a user to resist movement of said wheel with a desired amount of force;   drive means adapted to frame and interconnected to said wheel for operation by a user to propel said wheel; and   heat dissipation means to dissipate heat generated by said brake means, said heat dissipation means being a smooth, thin, substantially continuous, heat-conductive band member affixed to said circular base surface of said external rim and formed of material different than said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. An exercise machine comprising:   a frame;   a plastic-like wheel rotatably adapted to said frame and having radially-positioned air resistance blade members to resist rotational movement of said wheel;   brake means adapted to said frame and positioned to resist movement of said wheel said brake means being selectively positionable by a user to enable adjustment in the amount of resistance applied to said wheel;   heat dissipation means to dissipate heat generated by said brake means, said heat dissipation means being a smooth, thin, substantially continuous, heat-conductive band member affixed to a circular base surface of said wheel and formed of material different than said wheel; and   drive means adapted to said frame and interconnected to said wheel for   
     
     
        operation by a user to propel said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23.  The exercise machine of claim 22 wherein said brake means is a caliper brake selectively positionable to resist movement of said wheel. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.4.  The exercise machine of claim 22 wherein said wheel has a rim with sidewalls. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The exercise machine of claim 24 wherein said brake means is positioned to contact said rim of said wheel 
     
     
        and said brake means is a caliper brake. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  The exercise machine of claim 22 wherein said brake means includes an adjustable strap 
     
     
        positioned to resist movement of said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27.  The exercise machine of claim 24 wherein said brake means is an adjustable 
     
     
        strap which makes contact with the rim of said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The exercise machine of claim 22 wherein said wheel has an external rim and a central hub and said air resistance blade members are positioned to 
     
     
        extend from said central hub to said external rim. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. The exercise cycle of claim 22 wherein said exercise machine is a stationary cycle and wherein said drive means comprises a pair of pedals 
     
     
        affixed to a rotatable crank. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30.  The exercise machine of claim 29 wherein said drive means includes a pair of handle bar members reciprocating attached to said frame and interconnected to said wheel. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.31.  The exercise machine comprising: a frame;   a plastic-like wheel rotatably adapted to said frame and having radially-positioned air resistance blade members to resist rotational movement of said wheel in proportion to the speed of rotation of said wheel;   brake means adapted to said frame and positioned to frictionally resist movement of said wheel said brake means being selectively positionable by a user to enable adjustment in the amount of resistance applied to said wheel;   heat dissipation means to dissipate heat generated by said brake means, said heat dissipation means being a smooth, thin, substantially continuous, heat-conductive band member affixed to a circular base surface of said wheel and formed of material different than said wheel; and   drive means adapted to said frame and interconnected to said wheel for   
     
     
        operation by a user to propel said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32.  The exercise machine of claim 31 wherein said wheel has a friction surface associated therewith, and wherein said brake means includes friction means positioned to contact said friction surface to resist movement of said wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The exercise machine of claim 33 wherein said brake means is an adjustable strap which makes contact with said friction surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The exercise machine of claim 32 wherein said 
     
     
        brake means is a caliper brake. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35.  An exercise machine comprising: a frame;   a plastic-like wheel rotatably adapted to said frame and having radially positioned, air resistance blade members to resist rotational movement of said wheel and to increase the resistance upon increasing the speed of rotation of said wheel; said wheel having a rim to which said blade members are attached, said blade members having at least a portion adjacent said rim that is wider than said rim;   brake means adapted to said frame and positioned to apply a frictional force resistive to movement of said wheel and that is essentially independent of the speed of rotation of said wheel said brake means being adjustable by a user to enable selective application in the amount frictional force;   heat dissipation means to dissipate heat generated by said brake means, said heat dissipation means being a smooth, thin, substantially continuous, heat-conductive band member affixed to a circular base surface of said external rim and formed of material different than said wheel; and   drive means adapted to said frame for operation by a user to propel said   
     
     
        wheel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36.  The exercise machine of claim 35 wherein said brake means is an adjustable strap which makes contact with said wheel. .Iaddend.